


Reflection of Us

by Buttercup12



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Angst, Boyfriends, CEO!Eddie, Eventual Romance, Friendship, Gay, Love, M/M, Romance, Strict!Eddie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-09 06:57:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15261909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttercup12/pseuds/Buttercup12
Summary: As a writer for a local gossip magazine, Beverly Marsh is caught up on all the local drama in her area.But what happens when she's tested to get the latest juicy gossip story?She's forced to go all in to figure out if the story is really true. Is the successful and widely respected CEO of a high-end hotel chain actually a gay man who's having an affair, despite having a wife and child on the way?Not only could the story put the magazine at the top of the branch, but it could send Beverly's career in a great direction.Going undercover, Beverly must learn all about the peculiar Edward Kaspbrak. Which includes the good, the bad, and the ugly.Suffice it to say, Beverly is more than shocked at what she learns about this interesting man's past.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hellllo! I've decided to begin a new Reddie fic, even though I'm in the middle of my other one right now. I came up with this idea while I was in the shower the other night, and I just knew I wanted to write it.
> 
> Also, I know the summary makes it sound like it's all about Beverly but do not be fooled. Yes, she's going to have a lot to do with the story, but the story is still all about Eddie and his feelings for Richie. Richie might not be featured as much as the other two in the story, but he'll still be mentioned and talked about a LOT. He'll make many more appearances later on, though. These first few chapters will have a lot to do with Eddie and Bev.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Happy reading! <3

The resounding smack of a stack of papers hitting her desk, startled Beverly Marsh into jumping and whipping her head up to glare at whoever decided to be so rude.

No surprise, she's met with the eyes of one of her co-workers, and also one of her enemies, Gretta Keene, who's sneering down at her.

"Work orders to be stapled, Marsh. Get on it."

Beverly rolls her eyes, as Gretta walks away with a satisfied gleam in her eyes.

"You know, you're not my boss. Remember that? We have the exact same job! Which means you can also be stapling these work orders, not just me."

Gretta stops in her tracks and turns around slowly, facing Beverly with a glare.

"I'm practically higher than you, Marsh. I've been here longer. I know how things are run here. You're just a newbie. I've been here for years. And you? You've been here for two months. I think that means that technically, I am your boss. Now, get to stapling."

She turns with a smirk and walks away, leaving Beverly to grumble under her breath as she grabs a nearby stapler and begins putting the papers in order. 

"I have the exact same fucking qualifications, bitch," she mumbles under her breath.

She sighs heavily and starts stapling.

If she could work somewhere else, she would. But she's a writer. And there aren't that many promising opportunities for writers anymore. So, if there's a chance she can work for this shitty gossip magazine for awhile longer and end up getting a big promotion or better opportunity, then she'll learn to deal with it, even if it means dealing with the dragon lady, Gretta Keene.

She gets lost in her own world of thoughts, when the doors to the large room of cubicles open and her boss comes bursting in with an excited look on his face.

"Everybody! You'll never believe the morning I've had. Truly remarkable. It started out as being the worst day of my life, to turning into possibly one of the best. Listen up, because what you're about to hear will blow your goddamn minds!"

He threw his hands around wildly as he spoke, his eyes shining bright with excitement. Beverly would almost find it endearing, if he wasn't so excited over the possibility of most likely ruining another person's life. Because, that's what the magazine did. It ruined people's lives. Beverly was working for a magazine filled with people who did everything they could to find as much drama and gossip surrounding New York City. She was working for a magazine that tore other people down just so everyone could keep their jobs and keep the magazine afloat.

"What it it, Mr. Rogers?" She asks politely, feigning interest. She tries to stay on his good side so there won't be any trouble as she writes for the magazine.

"So, I was going to get coffee at that little cafe down the street from my apartment this morning, when I received a text from my boss, telling me that our last issue was horrible. Apparently, we're down forty five percent of buyers," he says in that same excited tone.

Beverly quirked an eyebrow. How could he sound so casual about such bad news? 

"So, of course, I start flipping out, right? I mean, our magazine _has_ been garbage lately! There's no drama going on around here. And the small drama we do have, is what we've been writing about for months now. There's only  _so_ much we can keep writing about that one McDonald's having terrible sanitation, right? So, anyway. I'm having a mental meltdown because our magazine has been in the dumps lately and if it continues in that direction, it will be shut down," he says. 

Then his eyes get really big and excited, which makes Beverly turn her head in wonder as she waits for him to continue.

"Then, as if God himself was answering my prayers, a miracle occurred."

"A miracle? What the hell are you talking about?" Gretta asks with a snicker.

"You won't be laughing after you hear this one, Keene. I happened to overhear a conversation between these two women standing in front of me in the line at the cafe. And what I heard was...unbelievable."

He pauses for dramatic effect, and Beverly almost groans in frustration, but she holds herself back.

"I happened to be standing behind two women who work for Edward Kaspbrak. You know, the CEO of  _Ivory Branch Hotel_! The  _married_ man. Married to a  _woman,"_ he said brightly.

Beverly's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. She knew of Edward Kaspbrak.  _Everyone_ knew who he was. He was a big name in their city. As the CEO of a fancy hotel chain, he was very popular and a well respected man in the community. Lots of people envied him, wishing they could have his name and money. Lots of people also despised him, due to his stuffy and strict personality. 

"What did they say?" Beverly asked carefully, hoping she wasn't overstepping.

"They were gossiping. Apparently, people around his office are starting to  _think_ certain things about him. Lately, they've been seeing him with a certain man all the time. Not only a man, but a  _gay_ man. Apparently, they've been looking pretty cozy lately. Very cozy actually, according to them. Rumors are starting to arise about him. That he might secretly be a....fairy," Mr. Rogers finished with an excited giggle.

"So. You overhear two of Mr. Kaspbrak's employees gossiping about the possibility of him being gay?" Gretta asks slowly.

"That's  _right!_ "

"So, um. What are we going to do about it?" Beverly asks, cautiously.

Mr. Rogers's eyes snap to Beverly's, looking her right in the eyes. She gulps under his gaze. Suddenly, his grin seems to widen even more.

"Marsh! I have the perfect idea," he says while clapping his hands together. His dark hair had small patches on the top of his head and his rumpled clothes aged him by at least ten years.

"You're a newbie. You haven't been on any big stories yet, have you?  _This_ is the perfect opportunity for you. This is your time to shine!"

Beverly's eyes widen. Is this finally her time to get ahead of the game? Could this be a big breakout chance for her?

"Me? So....you want me to ask Edward Kaspbrak if it's true?"

Gretta snickers as Mr. Rogers rolls his eyes.

"Oh, sure. Because I'm sure you'll happen to catch Mr. Kaspbrak on the street, where he'll be more than happy to tell you,  _Yes, I'm gay and having an affair_ ," Mr. Rogers says sarcastically. "Look, he is a very difficult man to reach. And even when you have the small chance to talk to him, he keeps things brief. Very brief. As in, if you're not an employee of his, or another CEO from another company, he barely gives you the time of day. This will be a  _very_ difficult task, Marsh. But, let me tell you. If you get this done and you write a kickass story, you will put us at the top of the charts.  _Everyone_ will be reading our magazine. Everyone will be buying it. It will be selling out at every single grocery store, convenience store, and bookstore there is here in NYC! And  _you_ will be the name of it all. Everyone will love you. Networks will contact you, people will know who you are."

Everyone was eyeing Beverly as Mr. Rogers as he spoke, wondering if she would take on the challenge. Everyone already had the opportunity to write a wild story, so they're all waiting to see if Beverly is ready to try it out herself. Even Gretta seemed genuinely curious in Beverly's answer.

"Um....okay," Beverly says slowly. "I'll do it."

Mr. Rogers lets out a loud  _whoop_ and fist pumps the air, before he walks up to Beverly at her cubicle and grabs both of her hands in his with a wide smile.

"This is great news! I'm so happy for you. I told you guys! A fucking  _miracle,"_ he shouts to everyone.

"Um. So...how do I do this? I mean, I've never really had to go out of my way to find out a big secret like this before," Beverly says. "I mean, how do I even go about talking to him or even getting in contact with him?"

Mr. Rogers crouches down to her level, looking her straight in the eye. He gives a single nod.

"Like I said, Mr. Kaspbrak is  _very_ hard to get ahold of. He ignores phone calls and emails and texts all the time. If you're not someone who's a part his personal life or work life, then he makes no time for you. This means that you'll have to become a person who  _can_ be a part of his work life. Someone who he will make time to talk to."

"Meaning....?" Beverly asks, confused.

" _Meaning,_ you need to  _become_ somebody else. Someone who can get the answer out of him."

"Which means," Beverly says, wishing he would be more clear.

Mr. Rogers smacks a hand to his forehead, and there's a collective groan from all of her coworkers.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Marsh?  _Undercover._ You need to go  _undercover!_ "

Beverly's eyes widen. 

"Undercover? Like, I need to pretend to be someone else?"

"Yes! That is exactly what I've been saying," Mr. Rogers says exasperatedly.

"But...but as who? Who on  _earth_ could I pretend to be? I don't know the first thing about going undercover!"

"It's simple, Marsh. Well, not  _simple._ But, easy enough. You change your identity. You change your job title. You change your life story."

"I just...make up a different story for myself? I-I don't know who I should say I am, I don't-"

"Anyone you want to be. As long as it's someone who can associate with Edward Kaspbrak. Use your imagination. Use your creativity. Remember. That's a major part of what writing is all about. I have faith in you. I know you can do this!"

Beverly gives a weak laugh and nods.

"So. You'll do it?" Mr. Rogers asks hopefully.

Beverly gulps and scans her eyes over everyone in the room, seeing the same hopeful look in all of their eyes as well. If what Mr. Rogers is saying is _true,_ this could be great for her career. She could have the writing job she's always dreamed of. She could live comfortably with Ben. They could get married and maybe even have children one day. With this in thought, Beverly makes up her mind.

"Okay. I'll do it."

An eruption of cheers and claps come from all around her. Suddenly, she sees everyone walking up to her and feels them giving her pats on the back, while giving words of encouragement. Gretta walks up with an impressed look on her face.

"Wow, Marsh. Didn't think you had it in you," she says.

Beverly gives a half shrug.

"Worth a shot," she says in a small voice.

Gretta nods.

"Well," she says. "Let's see what you bring to the table. Good luck, Marsh. You're gonna need it."

Beverly lets out a deep breath and turns back to her computer, not wanting anyone to see just how nervous she really is.

* * *

 

"Hey, babe."

Beverly is greeted by Ben as soon as she enters their shared apartment that night, and she immediately relaxes at the voice. 

"Hi," she says with a tired sigh.

He's lounging on the couch with an easy smile. He's a high school history teacher, but somehow, he still manages to be in such a good mood around everyone even after dealing with a bunch of rowdy teenagers all day. Beverly wonders how he does it.

"Long day at work?" He asks with a sympathetic grin. "I ordered pizza. Should be here in about twenty minutes."

Beverly lets out a sigh of relief and her stomach seems to grumble in appreciation. 

"Thanks. And yes, it was a long day. Let's just say, something major might be happening for me, Ben. This could be a great opportunity if I play the cards right."

Ben seems to perk up at this, standing up and walking over to her like an excited puppy.

"What? What is it?" He says while wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a hug and a peck on the lips. She immediately returns the hug and kiss.

"Okay. So, you know Edward Kaspbrak, right? The CEO of that big fancy hotel chain?"

" _Ivory Branch_ ," Ben nods. "Yeah. What about him?"

"Well, apparently he might be gay," she says simply. 

Ben, who had been taking a sip from his glass of water, snorts into his glass and sends water flying out of the cup and onto the floor.

"Okay?" He says with a chuckle. "What's wrong with that?"

Beverly gives him an incredulous look.

"He's married. To a woman. And she's  _pregnant_."

A look of realization dawns on Ben at this news and he sighs.

"Oh," he says. "Wow. He's gay? I had no idea."

"Well, that's because it hasn't been proven yet. People are talking, though. Apparently he's been seen at numerous areas with a gay man and they've been looking 'pretty cozy', she says, quoting Mr. Rogers from earlier."

Ben shrugs. "That doesn't have to mean anything. They could just be friends."

"Yeah. That's what I'm thinking, too. But you know, people in this city like to talk. They like to come up with wild accusations with no solid proof, just because they want something to be able to entertain them."

Ben nods slowly.

"So, what does this have to do with your job?"

"Oh, right. Well, Mr. Rogers is giving me my very first opportunity to write a leading story. He wants me to go undercover and try to talk to Edward and get the answer out of him."

Beverly waits for Ben to smile, or hug her or at least tell her  _congratulations._ But, he does none of those things. He instead stands there with a confused look on his face.

"I'm not really following. Go undercover?"

"Yeah. You know, pretend to be someone else. And get ahold of him. Try to get the answer out of him for a story."

Ben's mouth drops open in shock. He doesn't look happy for her in the least bit. He looks...disappointed.

"So, let me get this clear. You want to go undercover, try to get close to the guy just to find out if some stupid rumor if true. Then, if you find out it  _is_ in fact true, you're going to write a story about it and expose him. Even though he's a very respected man whose life would pretty much be ruined if that story is put out to the public? All of that....for a job opportunity?"

Beverly winces at Ben's explanation. She knows he's right. It sounds really shitty. But this opportunity could help the both of them.

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds terrible. But I mean, who's to say that the rumor is even true? Maybe it'll end up being some dumb lie that couldn't be further from the actual truth. You know?"

"But, if it is true? You ruin his life," Ben points out.

"Okay, that's just a tad bit dramatic, don't you think? It won't  _ruin his life._ It won't," she says, though it sounds like she's trying to convince herself.

Ben just stares at her, and it's now that she knows he's truly upset with her. She hates making him look like that. She can't stand being the one to put him in a bad mood. 

"B-but, just think about it. Reason with me. If this story comes out, it could possibly be a massive success! Mr. Rogers said that it could mean  _a lot_ for me. A better job, with a much  _higher pay._ If that happened, I could be earning triple the amount of money I make now and you and I could be living the life we've always dreamed of. We could move out of this tiny apartment, and we could move into a real home where we can have pets and - and  _kids._ And we could get  _married,_ Ben. Doesn't that sound amazing?"

Throughout Beverly's rant, she could see Ben's features start to soften as she spoke. He sighs and puts his hands on her shoulders gently.

"Of course I want that, sweetie. You know I do. But...do you really want to live a better life at the expense of someone else's misery? Because I sure don't."

Beverly closes her eyes and sighs.

"What can I do to make this okay with you? I don't want you to be disappointed in me."

Ben shrugs a shoulder and fixes a serious look on her.

"Don't write the story," he says simply, as if life is just that easy. "Better yet, don't even try to pursue Edward. Just..don't get into all of that. You'll feel much better in the long run, trust me. Just leave the poor man alone. I-I know a lot of people say he's an asshole, but look at his  _life._ He's a Chief Executive Officer, for crying out loud! There's so much pressure on him every single day, and if anything goes wrong, it's all on him. You can't blame him for being a bit rude every now and then. He's got a lot on his plate," Ben reminds her.

And Beverly agrees. She really does. But..she already agreed to writing the story. Everyone at the job is depending on her. They all looked so... _proud_ of her. She doesn't want to risk ruining everything for herself. She could be the reason the magazine stays alive.

"Ben, I know all of this. But, it's just  _one_ story. I'm sure it won't affect his life at all! Also, the magazine's ratings have been  _shit_ lately. Like, seriously sinking. We're barely managing to keep it afloat. If I can write this, it will bring us back to the top!  _I_ could be the reason for that! Can't you see how amazing that would be? I mean, you said it yourself! Always look out for opportunities that could further my career!"

" _Yes,_ further your career in  _healthy_ ways. Not ways that involve tarnishing a person's life! Don't do this to him, Bev. Don't do it. The second that story is run, you'll regret it. You know that. You're a good person, with a heart. You're not like those people at that job who are only greedy for money and attention. You're  _passionate._ You're ambitious, but most of all, you do the right thing. This wouldn't be a good thing. At all. Come on. Don't do this to him. He doesn't deserve it," Ben says with a desperate plead.

Beverly stares at him in confusion, wondering what exactly is making him so bothered by all of this.

"Ben," she says slowly. "What aren't you saying? There's gotta be a bigger reason this is bothering you. You look  _really_ upset."

Ben stares at her and then lets out a heavy sigh. He walks back to the couch and sits down. Beverly slowly follows him and sits as well, grabbing his hands in hers and lacing their fingers together. She silently and patiently waits for him to talk.

"I was leaving work a few weeks ago. When I was walking out to my car, I bumped into him. He was making his way in to see his wife, who works in the school's office as an administrator. He apologized and kept walking. Then, I realized that I had been meaning to see my boss in his office to ask him about one of my lesson plans so I started walking a little ways behind Edward to the office as well. I went to my boss's door and looked inside but didn't see him anywhere. I figured that he might've went to the restroom because all of his stuff was still set up in the office, so I just stood outside his office waiting for a few minutes. Myra Kaspbrak's office is next to my boss so I happened to overhear her conversation with Edward. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but she was speaking loudly and I couldn't help but hear it all," he says miserably. 

Beverly squeezes his hand gently to reassure him. 

"What were they saying?" She asks calmly, being sure to give Ben all the time he needs.

"Well...she was mad. For some reason. I'm not sure why. But she was yelling at him. I mean, she wasn't actually  _yelling_ at the top of her lungs or anything, but I could clearly hear her and she didn't sound very happy. She was basically calling him a pathetic excuse of a husband and she was telling him that he wasn't doing anything right and that everything wrong with their marriage is all because of him. He could barely get a word in, she kept talking over him. I felt so bad for him. I glanced inside and saw that he was slumped in one of her visitor chairs with his face in his hands. And she just kept yelling all sorts of terrible things. I felt terrible for him. I mean, what kind of person has to take that kind of damage from someone? I hate to assume things, but based off of his body language, something tells me that he has to take that shit from her on a daily basis," Ben says.

Beverly is watching him with sad eyes, suddenly feeling awful for Edward Kaspbrak. Ben is right. No one deserves to be treated like that. 

"That's terrible," she says softly.

"And that's not even the end of the story," Ben says, taking a deep breath to tell the rest of the story. "Anyway, I stood there for a few more minutes, waiting to see if my boss would show up but he never did. So, just as I turned to leave, Edward came out of his wife's room and stared right at me. He looked terrified, like he knew I heard everything that was said between them, and wished I hadn't been there. I wasn't really sure what to do, so I just told him I was waiting to see if my boss was going to show up so I could talk to him. Edward didn't say much. He just nodded and told me  _Okay._ He looked like he was about to break down. I asked him if he was okay, and he just stood there, staring at me with these devastated eyes. Finally, he shook his head and he started to  _cry._ Right in front of me. His wife's door was closed so she couldn't hear him. I grabbed my stuff and I led him outside to the parking lot. Once we were at my car, he collapsed into my arms and he started sobbing. I'm not kidding Bev, he was absolutely  _wrecked._ I asked him over and over again if he needed anything or if he needed me to drive him anywhere, but he just kept shaking his head and crying. After about five or ten minutes, he calmed down a lot. So I asked him if everything was alright, and he just started telling me that his life wasn't going so well lately. I asked him if he wanted to talk about it, and I'm not kidding Bev, he actually  _did._ In the parking lot, he just opened up to me. We were complete strangers, but he trusted me. I was so glad that he was talking. It was obvious that he hardly ever talks about his feelings to anyone. He basically just said his job was starting to exhaust him because everyone seemed to be waiting for him to fail at any moment and he said that his marriage was falling apart more and more but that no one knew because he kept up a facade in front of them."

Beverly has tears welling up in her eyes by the end of the story. She feels  _terrible._ She had no idea that Edward was living such a hard life. The poor man. 

"Oh my god," she says. "Ben, I had no idea. I feel awful for him."

Ben nods.

"Yeah. Me too. It makes me so sad, knowing that he could break at any second, without having anyone there to help him when he does."

"God, I know. So, what happened after all of that? After he talked to you and everything?"

"It was the craziest thing. Once he was done talking, he seriously molded himself back together. Like, one second he's crying and opening up to me, and the next he's straightening his clothes and clearing his throat as if nothing had happened. It was like watching an actor going from acting out a crying scene to laughing and smiling right when the camera cuts. It was instant, how fast his mood changed. That's when I realized. He probably cries often, but has to immediately stop and get going with his life, because there's no one there to love him and take care of him when things get tough. So he's forced to just be at the top of the chain by himself, where he has to be  _perfect_ all the time for everyone, because they all have such high expectations and standards. I guess that's why he has to be strict and a bit harsh to others, it's probably his only way to hide how sad he is."

Beverly nods, and she gently strokes one of Ben's hands with her thumb comfortingly. 

"Did he eventually leave?"

"Yeah. He asked me what my name was and when I gave it to him, he said 'I will never forget you, Ben Hanscom. I'll always remember you. Thank you.' And then he just walked away. As if nothing had ever happened."

"Wow," Beverly breathes. "How come you never told me about that?"

Ben shrugs with a sheepish grin. "I don't know. I guess I felt that it was kind of a secret between me and him. Not that I'd ever hide anything from you, because I would never. You know that. I just -"

"No, I understand. I really do. I probably wouldn't say anything either if I was in your shoes."

"Yeah," Ben says quietly. " _That's_ why all of this is bothering me so much. He's just - he doesn't need anymore crap in his life, you know? There's only so much a person can take."

Beverly nods, accepting his pleads and arguments. 

"I get it. You're right. He doesn't deserve it."

Ben looks at her with a hopeful look.

"So, you won't do it?"

Beverly stares at him for a few moments and finally shakes her head while letting out a deep breath.

"No. I won't write the story."

* * *

 

The next morning, when Beverly walks up to her cubicle, she's nervous to say the least. Because now, she has to tell everyone that she's pulling out on the story. The second she sits down, however, Gretta comes walking up, giving her a tap on the shoulder.

"Coffee?" She says. "I stopped to get some this morning and thought I might as well get you one as a  _Congratulations_. Y'know, for getting the next story. As much as I hate to admit it, I guess I'm happy you're getting this story. You've been working hard, and I've been giving you tons of shit. You deserve to have the spotlight."

"Wow, thanks Gretta," Beverly says with an awkward chuckle. 

Gretta shrugs while she sets the coffee down on Beverly's desk. "Don't start thinking we're friends or something," she says, though she's got a playful gleam in her eyes.

Beverly nods and raises her hands in surrender as she watches Gretta walk away.

 _Shit._ She should've said something. She totally just implied that she is still writing the story.  _Fuck._ She needs to tell someone she's not writing it anymore very soon.

"There's my life saver," Mr. Rogers says as he walks in the office a few minutes later. He walks up to Beverly and hands her a donut. "I bought donuts for everyone this morning. But I wanted to personally bring you one, Ms. Marsh. For being our life saver through this time of need."

He holds the donut out for Beverly and watches her with a big grin on his face. Beverly gives a weak grin and slowly takes the donut. 

"Um. Wow. Thanks, Mr. Rogers. This is delicious," she says as she takes a bite.

"No problem. If you need anything else, just let me know, alright?"

Beverly is about to let him walk away but suddenly, Ben's words from the evening before come crashing down around her and she's feeling sad again.

"Um, Mr. Rogers? Actually, there's something that I want to talk to you about," she says seriously. "I-I'm not sure that I want to write the story after all."

Mr. Rogers, who had been turning to walk away, slowly turns around again with a confused look on his face. Beverly feels a knot form in her stomach, feeling very nervous and intimidated. Not that Mr. Rogers was a very intimidating man. He has always been pretty kind to everyone, and he was very welcoming towards her when she first began working for the magazine. 

"What?" He says. "What are you talking about?"

Beverly looks at him with desperate eyes, silently pleading that she doesn't have to explain herself. She feels way too nervous and scared. She doesn't want to talk about it, because she knows she'll just see a very similar look coming from Mr. Rogers, that she saw from Ben the previous evening. A look of  _disappointment._

"I-I," she stutters. "I just feel that the story...isn't very  _kind,_ you know? I just, I don't know if I feel right about writing a story that's based completely off of rumors. Not to mention that the story could really damage the reputation he's spent so long building up."

She tries her best to get her point across, she really does. But Mr. Rogers just stares at her with the blankest of stares, so emotionless, she has no idea what he's thinking. 

However, a smile suddenly spreads across his face.

"Oh, I get it. You're just  _nervous._ That makes sense. This is your first big story and everything. Trust me, it'll be okay. I just know you're going to  _nail_ this, Ms. Marsh. This story was made for you. There's no one else in this office who has the potential for something this big. You'll be the first one here who will be going undercover. No one else has had to do that before. You're special. You really are. You've got a talent that the world needs to see."

Mr. Rogers has nothing but a look of pure genuine kindness in his eyes, and Beverly begins feeling terrible all over again. But, now, she feels terrible at the thought of having to let him down. She doesn't want to have to do that. So far, she's been on his good side, so turning down this story would definitely change that.

"Thank you, Mr. Rogers. I just - I don't know if I can -"

"I even have the perfect undercover idea for you! I thought of it last night while I was making dinner for my family and I," he says with that same happy grin.

This throws Beverly off guard. "You do?" 

He nods.

"Yep. Now, this seems a bit crazy, but....Ms. Marsh, for the next few weeks, you're going to be a hotel receptionist!"

Beverly's eyes widen as she stares in confusion.

"Wait, what?"

"That's right. I saw that one of the _Ivory Branch_ hotels needed a new receptionist. I pulled some strings and landed you the job. It's very easy, honestly. Answer phone calls, check people in and out, give families extra toothbrushes. And even better news! This is the  _Ivory Branch_ hotel that is closest to Edward Kaspbrak's office, which is also the hotel that he frequently checks on to make sure things are running smoothly! He'll be coming in a few times a week. And of course, he'll be checking in on all the employees, which includes you! You'll have such easy access to talk to him. This is almost too easy for you!"

Beverly's jaw is slightly dropped at this news. She's not sure how to feel, or even how to comprehend it. She's not sure what to even say right now.

"Um..I, uh. Wow," she says. "I can't believe it..."

Mr. Rogers takes her hesitance to mean that she's just shocked at the news.

"I know it's a lot to take in right now, but it'll make more sense later. Your first day at the new job starts this Friday, by the way. They have your new hire paperwork for you over there, so you should probably pick that up either today or tomorrow."

Beverly slowly nods, not sure what else to do. This all feels like a dream, she should be waking up any moment. She pinches her arm for good measure, but nothing happens. It's then that she realizes that this is real life.

"Okay," she says in a soft voice.

"Okay! Good, good. Remember, Ms. Marsh! The opportunities that could come out of this story are remarkable! Your career will skyrocket."

Beverly nods, turning in her chair to type randomly at her computer again. Mr. Rogers gives her a pat on the back and then leaves her to her own thoughts. She covers her face with her hands and lets out a long sigh, as she realizes all the consequences that will be coming with her final decision.

_Well. Looks like the story is still on._


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I decided to keep on going with this story. I got pretty positive feedback on the first chapter, so I definitely want to continue writing and hope that you all keep enjoying it! 
> 
> In this chapter, Eddie will finally be introduced! No Richie, yet. I apologize to all the readers who really want Richie to make an appearance already, but he will be soon! I don't want to rush anything, I just want it to flow naturally. So, I hope you all stick around for that because I have a lot of ideas for this story that I'm excited to flesh out. 
> 
> Anyway, here's a new chapter! Happy reading!

That evening, when Beverly returns home from work, she's a bit disheartened to find the apartment empty. She already received a text from Ben, letting her know that he would be staying at the school for a few extra hours for a meeting, and that he might not be there when she returned. But she was hoping he  _would_ be there so she could talk to him about the story. 

She  _needs_ to talk to him about it as soon as possible. Because if she doesn't, then she'll end up keeping it bottled up inside of her and she won't have the guts to tell him anymore. She decides to distract herself by heading to the fridge and grabbing some apple juice and a case of strawberries. She pours herself a glass and grabs a bowl from the cabinet for the berries.

Once she's satisfied, she walks back to the living room and sits down on the couch, grabbing the remote and switching on the television. After a few moments, she finds that she can't focus on any show or movie that she turns on. So she sets the remote down and focuses on her own thoughts. 

She  _will_ be writing the story. I mean, Mr. Rogers went out of his way to get her that receptionist job to make things even  _easier_ for her. How could she turn that down? She'd be stupid to do so. So, she will be going through with the plan. She knows that she will most likely have some regret over this in the future, but right now, she can only think about the advantages. She tries her best to shove Ben's pleads from the previous evening far from her mind, but she struggles.

She just knows that he'll be disappointed in her. And something she hates the most is disappointing the man who she has come to truly love and cherish. However, she simply  _can't_ pull out of the situation anymore. She feels as if her hands are now tied. She will be going through with this and that's final. Just as she told Ben, there's a pretty big chance that Eddie is not gay, and not cheating. There's a pretty big chance that he's completely straight and simply  _friends_ with a gay man. 

It's just up to her to find out for  _sure._ So she can put things to rest for good. Her phone buzzes with a text from Ben. 

_About to leave the school. Be home in about half an hour! Love you!_

On instinct, Beverly grins and sends out a quick reply. She sighs when she realizes that she didn't even bring up the fact that she needs to talk to him about the story. It'll just have to wait. Until he gets home. 

But once he's home, Beverly will tell him. For sure.

It will all work out. Everything will be fine. 

She groans softly and drops her head back on the couch. 

If it is all going to work out, why didn't she feel very good about it?

* * *

 

"Alright, Ms. Marsh. It looks like we are all done here today. Thank you for stopping by. I know it must've be hard, considering your address that you wrote down is way across town, and the traffic is especially bad today."

Beverly smiles politely and stands up to begin putting her things together. She decided to stop by the hotel the following day to fill out all the paperwork for her  _new job._

"I'm happy to stop by. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for you. I really appreciate it," she says, though she knows that she's just lying through her teeth.

The woman, Mrs. Watson, simply grins and holds out a hand. Beverly timidly sticks her hand out as well, and the two women shake hands firmly.

"Welcome aboard, Ms. Marsh. I think you're going to really like it here."

Beverly gulps and gives a weak nod. 

"I think I will too."

* * *

"How was your day, today?" Ben says later that evening when Beverly returns home from work. She inwardly cringes at the question.

_I still haven't told you that I'm still writing the story. Oh yeah! I also went to fill out the hiring paperwork at Ivory Branch today! Oh, I didn't tell you! I'm their new receptionist._

"Oh, um. Fine. It was fine," she lies.

Ben doesn't seem to have picked up on the lie, so she quickly shuffles in and walks over to him to give him a quick peck. She needs to make sure everything seems normal. Or else he'll start to become suspicious. 

She meant to tell him the previous evening, after he returned from work. But he was in  _such_ a good mood, going on about how great the meeting went and how his new lesson plans will be much more exciting. Beverly couldn't make herself dampen his mood like that. She couldn't. 

And now, just as she suspected, she couldn't say anything. She's keeping it bottled in, just what she was most afraid of doing. 

"What would you like for dinner?" She calls from the kitchen.

"Oh, whatever is fine with me. You somehow manage to make  _everything_ taste delicious," he says happily.

Beverly's heart melts at the compliment. Even after all these years, Ben's compliments always make her feel like the happiest woman alive. She's not sure how she managed to score herself such a catch. She still mentally beats herself up when she thinks back to when they were kids. Back when she looked at Ben as just a friend, because she was blinded by her silly crush on Bill Denbrough, of all people. She was too oblivious to the fact that she had her soulmate right in front of her the whole time, she just wasn't looking.

"Let's see," she says as she opens the freezer. "Looks like we've got...frozen chicken strips that I can warm up. And...I think we have a box of Kraft Macaroni, still?"

"Macaroni and chicken strips, it is!" Ben approves as he walks into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water.

"How was your day?" She asks, wanting to make small talk that was about him, so she could try to avoid talking about herself.

"Oh, really good! My boss, Mr. Smith, sat in on some of my classes today. An evaluation. By the end of the day, he seemed really impressed with how I'm teaching. He also said that test scores in US History have been raising tremendously, lately. So, I guess that means I must be doing  _something_ right, you know?"

Beverly smiles, and walks up behind Ben in their extremely small kitchen, that's barely large enough for the two of them. She wraps her arms around his waist and rests her chin on his shoulder. She feels him instantly relax against her.

"I have no doubt that you're the reason those test scores are rising. You're an excellent teacher. That school is lucky to have you. You're not just teaching History to those students. You're changing lives."

Ben turns around to hug her tightly at her words. 

"Thank you, sweetheart," he says, his voice muffled as he sticks his face further into the junction between her shoulder and her neck. 

She laughs gently, allowing herself to hold onto this precious moment between the two of them for just a little longer. A few moments later, Ben pulls back and looks her right in the eye.

"I'm the luckiest guy on the universe," he says with such genuine love and kindness. "I want to marry you so badly. The second I have enough money to purchase the ring, I'm proposing."

Beverly's breath catches in her throat, as tears rush to her eyes. Nothing makes her happier than the thought of being Ben's  _wife._ She already knows they'll be together forever, but actually marrying him will be mean that they're  _truly_ together forever. Bound by law. Beverly wants nothing more.

"I can't wait to be your wife one day," she says in return. 

Ben's face seems to light up even more at her words and he immediately moves forward, catching her in a kiss full of love and passion.

Beverly forgets all about the story. She forgets all about the fact that she's keeping a major secret from Ben. The one person who she trusts the most, she's hiding something from. She forgets all about this.

Because right now, she is focused on making sure he knows exactly how much she loves him. 

And nothing is going to ruin that moment. This is their moment.

* * *

 

Beverly receives her work hours for the hotel the following day, one day before she has her first shift. All her shifts will be during the morning, which Beverly internally cheers over, because Ben will have no idea she's not at her usual office during that time. If she was scheduled evenings, then  _that_ would've definitely been a train wreck waiting to happen. But for now, Beverly is going to keep her secret. And now, she won't have to worry about getting caught by Ben.

She thinks about just telling Ben that she decided to pick up an extra job, and that she decided to apply at  _Ivory Branch_ for the hell of it. But, she knew right away that there would be two odd facts that came with that. One, she never  _once_ brought up wanting to pick up a second job. And if she did, that would've definitely been something that she would've discussed with Ben. And two, it would be fishy as hell to get a job at the hotel, only  _days_ after talking to Ben about possibly exposing the  _CEO_ of that exact same company. 

So, she keeps it to herself. Her shifts would be from 8 AM to 3 PM. Then, she would drive straight to her office and work from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM. She would be returning home at the same time as usual. Nothing seemed to be out of place in the slightest, which relieves her. 

She also spoke to Mr. Rogers about the whole identity situation. She remembers his exact words from earlier that day.  _You won't have to change anything about yourself. Just do not, under any circumstances, mention that you work for this magazine. Keep that locked away. Not a word about it, Marsh. Or they'll become suspicious, especially Edward Kaspbrak. If you mention writing at all, just say that you'd enjoy being an author one day or something. Nothing too weird or out of the ordinary._

She surprisingly feels a little... _excited_ to be doing this. Of course, it's not the ideal situation, but she can't but feel a little daring to be going undercover like this. She's always loved the thrill of doing things she knows she shouldn't be doing. She always has, ever since she was a child. This is one of those things she knows she shouldn't be doing, but she just feels even more excited about it. 

That evening, as Ben sleeps right next to her in their shared bed, she grins up at the ceiling. She has no idea what will happen with this whole entire debacle, but she's ready to find out. 

She's ready to meet the mysterious man behind all of this. 

_Edward Kaspbrak, I'm ready to learn everything about you._

* * *

The next morning, Beverly wakes up to an empty bed, as usual. Ben always leaves before her, since he likes to be extra early to the school every morning.

She checks her alarm clock. It reads 6:30 A.M. She sighs and calculates how much time she has to get ready for the day, before she has to leave, in order to be on time to her first day at the hotel. 

She takes a quick shower, and then steps out and gets dressed in a casual outfit. Mrs. Watson was pretty clear that she could wear anything,  _except_ any denim. She slips on a pair of black slacks, and pairs it with a royal blue colored blouse that she finds hanging towards the back of her closet. She wears a pair of black flats, since she knows she'll be on her feet the entire morning. She puts her long red hair up into a loose ponytail that hangs nicely down her back. 

Once she puts on a small amount of eye makeup and lip gloss, she grabs her keys and heads out for the day in record time, having plenty of time to make it to the hotel in time. 

She drives nervously, trying to calm her nerves by listening to the music on the radio. It helps a little bit, especially when she switches the radio to the alternative rock station and a song by The Smiths begins playing through the speakers. However, halfway through the song, her nerves come back with a crashing force. 

Will she meet Edward today? She has no idea. But Mr. Rogers  _did_ say that Edward frequently stops by that hotel to check on how things are running. Mr. Rogers also said that Edward always tries to meet new employees. So that means that he might stop by today to  _meet her._

She gulps at the thought. It's not the thought of meeting him that makes her so nervous, she's actually pretty excited to meet the man behind the fancy hotel chain. She's nervous because she's not exactly sure how to go about talking to him. How does she get him to trust her into telling her something personal about himself? 

Suddenly, a thought dawns on her. Edward opened up to  _Ben,_ a complete stranger to him. And it was mostly likely because Ben seemed like a trustworthy person. This means that Edward just needs more people in his life who he can talk to and open up to. With the life he has, he must not have many people in his life who he can really lean on for support. He's lonely. 

She realizes that she needs to make sure Edward knows he can trust her. She needs him to know he can talk to her. Just like he talked to Ben in the school parking lot that one day.

She smiles softly, as her plan starts sounding better and better.

* * *

 

"Okay. It looks like we've covered all the basic training for you. You ready to go out and try out your first customer? I'll be right there with you, if you start struggling," Beverly's coworker and trainer, Mike Hanlon says. 

So far, Beverly  _loves_ him. He's a tall, dark skinned boy with a kind smile and sparkling eyes. He's been assigned as her trainer for the day, and she couldn't be happier with him being the one to teach her the ropes. 

"Yep! I think I'm ready to try," she replies with a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry. Once you handle your first few customers, it becomes a breeze. Oh, look! Here comes a small family right now. Remember, I'm right behind you if you need any help."

Beverly nods as the family comes closer. A mother, father, and two little boys. 

"Welcome to  _Ivory Branch Hotel,_ how may I assist you today?" Beverly says in her professional voice, saying exactly what she went over, just a few minutes earlier with Mike.

"Checking in, please," the mother of the family says politely, with a large grin. "Two adults, two children."

"Yes, ma'am," Beverly replies as she begins working the system, going step by step, just as Mike had taught her. Once she reaches the list of open room, she glances back up at the woman and smiles.

"And how long will you be staying with us?"

"Two nights," she replies easily. 

Beverly nods and punches in the information. She grabs the registrar book from under the counter and slides it in the woman's direction.

"Would you please fill out the needed information and then pay when you're ready? I'll grab your keys."

"Of course," the woman says as she begins writing. The man joins her at the counter, sliding a credit card through their card machine.

Beverly chooses a room on the third floor and grabs two room keys for the family.

"You're doing great," Mike whispers from behind her. "Give them a few extra toothbrushes. Most families with little kids always asks for a couple more because lots of kids like to destroy them for some reason."

Beverly nods discreetly, just as the woman finishes filling out the information. Beverly politely hands her the keys, and then slides two extra toothbrushes towards her.

"Your room will be 312. Check out will be Sunday at noon. Breakfast is every morning from 8 to 11 AM. Also, here a few extra toothbrushes. You know, just in case," Beverly says as she gestures at the two little boys who are currently playing around with the father.

The woman's face floods with relief.

"Oh, yes! Thank you so much! Those two little rascals love to flush toothbrushes down the toilet, for some reason. I really appreciate it!"

"Of course. We hope that you enjoy your stay here, ma'am. If you have any questions or concerns during your stay, I'd be more than happy to assist you as needed."

"Will do! Thanks!"

The woman gives one last smile and wave, just before she calls for her husband and children. Beverly watches as they walk to the elevators with all their belongings. She watches as the two little boys smile and yell excitedly, the parents both looking down at them with loving smiles. Something pulls at the inside of Beverly's belly. A certain feeling comes rushing through her body. She's not sure what it is at first. But then, she sees the man wrap his arm around his wife's shoulder, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead, and suddenly Beverly knows what she's feeling.

_Longing._

She wants to have that with Ben. She wants to go on vacations with him  _and_ the children that they'll have one day. She can't wait to have that kind of life with him.

"Wow. For your very first customers, you did an  _amazing_ job! Damn! I wish I was that confident when I first started here!"

Beverly quickly turns away from the family to see Mike watching her with an impressed look.

"Oh. Thanks! I learned from the best!" She says, referring to the boy himself.

Mike gives her a sheepish grin and a flip of the hand, as if to say  _Stop, stop._

"No, that was all you, Beverly. You're going to be a great receptionist here with us."

Beverly grins.

"Thanks!"

She glances downwards and her eyes stop on one of Mike's hands. Specifically, his ring finger, which is covered with a gold ring.

"Married?" She asks, while gesturing to his finger.

Mike looks confused for a second, before he finally catches on to what she means.

"Oh! Yeah! Just married, actually. Two weeks ago. To a perfect woman. Her name is Valerie," Mike gushes with the biggest smile on his face.

"Wow, congratulations. I can tell you're really in love. That's amazing."

"I love her so much. I don't know where I'd be if I never met her. I definitely wouldn't be this happy," he says as he stares off into space, most likely thinking about the woman who just became his wife.

"Well, she's definitely doing a lot of good for you, I can tell. I'm really happy for you," Beverly says truthfully. 

"Thanks, Beverly. What about you? Have anyone special in your life?"

Beverly immediately grins and blushes.

"Uh, yeah. I do. His name is Ben. We're dating. But, when we can afford it, we'll be getting married."

Mike lets out a low whistle.

"That's awesome. Congrats to you," he says as he holds his hand up for a high five.

Beverly giggles and smacks her hand against his. Mike begins to laugh as well.

A few moments later, when their laughter has died down, Beverly suddenly remembers a very important question she's been meaning to ask him.

"Hey, Mike? So, I was wondering, um. Does Edward Kaspbrak actually stop by here a lot? You know, to check up on things?"

Mike nods.

"Yeah," he says easily. "He tries to do that with a lot of the hotels, but this one is only a few minutes away from his office so he stops here the most. Actually, he should be stopping by soon, considering you just started. He always like to come and greet new employees. Welcome them to the ship. He's a great guy."

Beverly slowly nods, taking this information it. Okay, so there's a pretty big chance he could be stopping by today.

"Any chance he'll be stopping by today?"

Mike shrugs.

"Could be today, could be tomorrow. Could be next week. You never know. He's got a pretty crazy schedule. Like, all the time."

"Right, right," Beverly says as she nods quickly.

"Did you need to speak with him? Because if you do, I'd say your best bet is emailing him. Other than that, he's hard to reach."

"Oh, no! No, I'm good. I was just, um. Wondering, that's all. I'm interested in meeting him, too. He seems like a cool guy."

"Yeah," Mike says as he grins. "He really is. Lots of people have all kinds of differing opinions on him. But to me, he'll always have a special place in my heart."

Beverly tilts her head.

"Why is that?"

Mike busies himself by sorting through some papers as he talks.

"Oh, just, some personal stuff that he's helped me through, before. He's been there for me through some of my lowest points. When I felt like I had no one,  _he,_ of all people, reached out to me and helped me through things. He didn't have to do that. Considering how much he has to do every single day. But, he still did. All because he could tell something was wrong with me. I can't thank him enough for that."

Beverly's eyebrows raise at this news. Maybe Edward Kaspbrak wasn't nearly as terrible as some people made him out to be. 

"Wow. He must be a great guy, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. No doubt about it," Mike says. "Edward is seriously an amaz -"

"Gossiping about me, Hanlon?" A voice comes from the entrance of the hotel.

Beverly and Mike both jump at the voice, their eyes snapping to the source of it. Beverly's eyes widen when she realizes who it is standing there. 

Edward Kaspbrak is standing there, in a dark suit, paired with perfectly shined shoes that look way too expensive. Beverly sucks in a deep breath, as she realizes that this is the first time she's seeing  _the_ Edward Kaspbrak in person. She's only ever seen him in random pictures on local newspapers and magazines. 

The first thing she notices is how  _beautiful_ he is in person. His skin is tan, and his dark brown hair is slightly long with big waves, parted perfectly. He's got big, dark brown doe eyes that would put an anime character to shame. The suit he wears fits him perfectly, clinging to his body effortlessly. He almost has a slight feminine quality to him, without coming across as girly. Beverly is blown away by how pretty this man is.

"Edward! Hello. How are you today?" Mike speaks up. 

Edward rolls his eyes and chuckles as he walks in.

"For the last time, Mike. You can call me  _Eddie."_

Mike immediately nods.

"Right. Sorry. I didn't know if you meant I could call you that outside of work only."

Edward, or  _Eddie,_ shakes his head.

"Nah. That's permanent. For  _you,_ at least. Everyone else? Well, they'll have to work up to that nickname," Eddie says with a slight chuckle, though something tells Beverly that he's being completely serious when he says that.

Mike laughs openly and bright, when he suddenly seems to remember Beverly standing right next to him.

"Oh! Eddie, this is Beverly Marsh. Our new receptionist! She just finished with her very first customer. She did an awesome job. No trouble at all. She's catching on quickly," Mike gushes.

Eddie's eyes finally snap from Mike, to Beverly. 

She immediately flushes under the stare.  _Shit._ All that confidence and excitement she had leading up to this moment, just went flying out the window. 

"Ms. Marsh. It's nice to meet you," Eddie says as he steps forward and holds out a hand for her to shake. 

She quickly raises her slightly sweaty hand to shake his, and she notices how soft his skin is. She also glances down to notice that he has perfectly manicured finger nails. Something that hardly any guy takes the time to have.

"Um, you too! It's nice -- It's um. It's nice to...meet..you," she says before she mentally smacks herself for sounding like a crazy person.

Eddie gives one nod, his whole demeanor changing. Just a few seconds ago, he seemed to be happy and in a good mood with Mike. But now, his face showed nothing but professionalism and seriousness.

"I wanted to stop by and personally welcome you to my company. I hope you enjoy your time spent working with us. I really appreciate you for showing the dedication and effort into wanting to work with us," Eddie says in a very professional voice.

Beverly gives a small grin and a big nod.

"It's my pleasure. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

Eddie stares at her for a few seconds before he seems to snap out of it, nodding and giving her the smallest of smiles before he turns back to Mike.

"Alright. Well. Now that I'm finished with that, are there any questions either of you have for me? I have a meeting I have to head to, so I won't be able to walk around today. Just wanted to check in and see if you all had any concerns?"

Mike and Beverly both shake their heads at the question.

"We're doing just fine," Mike answers.

Eddie nods at this and then checks the watch on his wrist.

"Crap, I gotta go. Can't be late. Alright, well, Mike, enjoy the rest of your day. I'll see you soon. And Ms. Marsh, good luck with the rest of your shift. We're happy to have you on our team."

Eddie gives them a slight wave as he turns to leave the hotel. 

The pair behind the counter watch him go for a few seconds. Beverly suddenly realizes that she is here with a _purpose_. She needs to talk to Eddie. Alone.

"Wait!" She suddenly says, as she chases Eddie out the door. Mike watches after her, confused and surprised.

"Mr. Kaspbrak," she shouts once she's outside. 

Eddie, who had been halfway to his car, stops in his tracks and turns around quickly, eyeing Beverly as if she's insane.

"Can I help you?" He asks with an impatient edge in his voice.

"Uh, yes," she says as she jogs up to him. "I was just, um. I was wondering if...maybe you and I could go for a coffee sometime? Maybe later today or tomorrow? I just - I have a lot of questions about the company, considering I'm new and all. I'm just really interested in the company I'm working for and I thought I might as well ask the man who's behind it all, you know?"

Eddie looks her up and down, as if he's judging whether to answer or not. Finally, he opens his mouth to speak.

"Look on my website. You'll find all the information you're looking for on there."

He turns around again to start walking to his car, but Beverly puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him. She has no idea where this confidence is coming from.

"Eddie, wait!"

Suddenly, Eddie whirls around quickly, but this time, he looks angry.

" _Mr. Kaspbrak,"_ he corrects her. "Address me as Mr. Kaspbrak, please."

Beverly's face reddens and she stutters.

"O-oh. I'm s-sorry. Mr. Kaspbrak. I just - I was really hoping I could just talk to you a little bit. I just wanted to find out more about you. Because, um......because I'm thinking of starting my own business one day," she lies. "I've been thinking about it for a while. And you inspire me to not give up on that. So, I was just hoping you could maybe give me some advice or tips?"

Eddie remains silent for a few minutes, and Beverly hopes that she's managed to convince him to believe her lies. However, he doesn't look too happy.

"Look, I think you need to realize something, Ms. Marsh.  _I_ am the CEO. I have a  _lot_ to do. All the time. Do you think I'm able to make time for little coffee dates with employees? Hm? No. I don't. Ever. I don't know where you're getting that idea from, but it's not going to happen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting that I need to go to. Looks like I'm going to be running late now, thanks to this little chat," he says harshly.

Beverly's eyes widen, feeling taken aback. She wasn't expecting him to be so... _rude._

"Right," she replies quietly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kaspbrak."

Eddie sighs and shakes his head before he turns around begins walking to his car, even faster than before.

"There are plenty of CEO's belonging to different companies in the city, Ms. Marsh," Eddie says loudly, though he doesn't turn around. "I'm sure you can manage to  _bother_ one of them, if you're so interested."

Beverly's jaw drops at the sheer harshness of that comment. She stands there in shock as she watches him get into his expensive looking car and drive away. _What just happened?_

She takes a few moments to collect herself before she heads back inside.

Once she turns to walk back in, she scoffs quietly and shakes her head. 

"What a dick," she grumbles to herself.

Turns out, this was going to be much harder than she thought. 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what your thoughts are! I'm always so happy to read and respond to your comments and questions! New chapter coming soon! <33


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I have a new chapter for you guys! I hope you enjoy! :)

"Hey, babe! You'll never believe who I saw today! This is such a weird story, considering how we were just discussing him the other day!" 

Beverly grins as she enters their shared apartment that evening. She's  _exhausted,_ to say the least. Who knew working two jobs would be so hard? She thought it would've been a piece of cake, but turns out she was definitely wrong. She's gotta start getting more sleep, and she's also gotta start stretching in the morning, because she didn't realize that standing on your feet for such a long period of time would've tired her out.

"Oh, yeah? Who'd you see?"

She sets her bags down and immediately walks over to the couch and plops down, hard. She exhales loudly as soon as she's down, and she smiles in content as she settles her back further into the couch. 

"Edward Kaspbrak!"

At Ben's answer, Beverly freezes. Her eyes widen, and she's immediately relieved that Ben is putting dinner together in the kitchen, so he doesn't notice her reaction. She goes into panic mode.  _Oh shit. Ben saw Eddie. Does that mean they talked? Did Ben bring up my name? Oh fuck, if Ben brought my name up, that means Eddie must've recognized it and then talked about my job at the hotel!"_

"O-oh! Wow. That's cool. Um. Did you talk to him?:

She refuses to turn and look at Ben, afraid of him noticing how nervous she looks and then call her out on it. She can hear him walking around the kitchen as he gathers food and supplies.

"A little bit. I was checking out at the grocery store and he was standing behind me in line. He said my name and when I turned around, he smiled and shook my hand and everything. I was so surprised he even remembered me!"

Beverly nods slowly. So far, Ben doesn't seem  _too_ upset, so he must've not mentioned her, which is good. She knows she should just come clean about everything, but things between the two of them are so balanced right now. She doesn't want to ruin it. 

"Well, like you said, he told you he'd never forget you, right?"

Ben chuckles.

"Yeah, I guess he really meant that, huh? Anyway, I just thought it was such crazy timing since we were just talking about him and everything."

"Yeah!" Beverly responds, trying her best to sound casual. "What did you talk about?"

She can hear Ben turn the sink on for a few seconds, before he turns it off and then grabs some aluminum foil to start wrapping over a pan.

"Oh, just work stuff. He asked me how the teaching was going and I asked him about the hotel. We didn't really say much since the line was moving pretty fast. But, the most shocking part was that we exchanged phone numbers. He basically told me to text him if I ever needed anything, or if I just needed to talk. Can you believe that? With how busy that man must be, he's still making room for boring people like me."

"You're not a boring person. You're fun," Beverly immediately responds. "He must really want you as a friend. Which is good, considering you're a great friend to everybody."

Beverly can almost  _feel_ Ben's smile, though she can't see him. 

"Thanks, honey. You're a great friend to everyone, too."

Beverly chuckles. "Thanks, babe."

She feels so relieved. Ben must not know anything. He would've definitely brought it up if he did know something. 

"Pasta and garlic bread sound good for tonight?" Ben calls from the kitchen.

Beverly grins. Her favorite. "Fuck yeah."

"You got it," Ben says happily. 

Beverly begins to nod off, becoming more and more relaxed by the soft sounds of Ben's cooking. He's got his playlist of piano music playing, which is calming her even more.

Just as she's about to fall asleep, a realization comes crashing down to her head, making her eyes open in shock.

_Ben has Eddie's phone number. That means she has easy access to Eddie's number. All she needs to do is get it from Ben's phone and put into hers._

She sits up slowly. 

"So, you have Eddie's phone number, huh? You ever gonna call him? Text him? Send him cute pics?"

Ben snorts.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be sending him lots of cute pics," he says sarcastically before continuing. "I don't know, though. I highly doubt he'd actually be able to have time to hang out with me if I ever asked him to."

"Hey, you don't know that. I'm sure he was serious if he actually wanted to swap numbers. I'm serious, he wants to be friends with you. He probably really trusts you and likes you. You should be flattered."

"I am," Ben says. "I don't know, maybe I'll text him tomorrow or something."

Beverly nods.

"Good. That's good. You've made a new friend," Beverly says, smiling.

Ben nods as he stirs the pasta noodles in a pan.

"Yeah," he says with goofy grin.

Beverly eyes the counter and immediately spots Ben's phone laying there. She watches it, wondering how she's going to get Eddie's number from his phone. She can't just ask for it. That'd be way too weird and fishy. She's going to have to do it when he's not paying attention.

"Hey, I'm gonna go to the restroom. Can you watch the noodles for me for a minute? I'll be quick," Ben says as he walks out of the kitchen and watches her expectantly.

Beverly nods and stands up, walking towards the kitchen.

"Yeah. For sure," she says. 

She gives him a peck on the lips as he passes her, and she smiles wide when it makes him blush. Once, he's out of the kitchen and in the bathroom, Beverly quickly walks over to his phone. She opens it and goes to his contacts. She scrolls for a few seconds before she reaches she  _E's._

She spots Eddie's name immediately, labeled as  _Edward K._

She grabs her phone out of her pocket and opens it, pressing a few different icons that will allow her to add a new phone number. She quickly copies Eddie's number into her own phone and then sets Ben's phone right back where it was before she walks back over to the noodles and stirs them around a bit. Ben returns a few minutes later, obviously having no idea that she just coped Eddie's phone number into her own. 

"Alright, thanks. Food should be ready in about ten minutes."

* * *

 

A few hours later, Beverly is laying in bed, just finished with her shower. Ben is still in the living room, having to grade a few more papers for one of his classes. 

She has her phone on the nightstand. She glances at the alarm clock. It's a little after 9 PM. She needs to get to sleep soon. She has the exact same schedule the next day as she did that current day.

An idea suddenly pops into her mind. What if she tries texting Eddie right now? Is it too late? Maybe it's too late. She lays there, thinking about it for what feels like forever, before she finally decides to try texting him.

She grabs her phone and then opens up a new message to send to Eddie's number. She slowly types out a message and then reads over it over and over, until she finally feels like it's decent enough. 

_Hi, Mr. Kaspbrak. This is Beverly. Marsh. Beverly Marsh. The new receptionist. I'm not sure if you remember, but we met today? I kind of bombarded you. I apologize for that. I'm not usually like that. I think I just got way too excited. Anyway, I was just contacting you because I wanted to ask you about that coffee one more time? Y'know, so I can just ask you some questions about starting the business. You inspire me the most. I'm really not interested in any other CEO's. Hope to hear back from you. Sorry for earlier, again._

She finally presses send and then immediately tosses her phone aside, so she doesn't have to lay there staring at the screen until she receives a reply.

She starts to think about how good her first day at the hotel went. She really feels like she did a pretty good job, thanks to Mike and all of his help. She's honestly looking forward to working with him again. She can see him being good friends with Ben as well. 

Suddenly, her phone vibrates with a new text. She sucks in a breath as her heart rate speeds up. She suddenly feels extremely nervous. Now that she thinks about it, it was a shitty idea to text him. I mean, he  _is_ her boss. It's not appropriate of her to text him. At all. What if he's firing her right now over that text because he's so angry? Fuck, that's a possibility. 

She finally grabs her phone and opens it. And just as she thought, there's a new text from Eddie.

_Are you out of your mind? How the hell did you get my phone number? Are you stalking me or something, Ms. Marsh?_

Beverly gasps at the questions. Surely, he has to be joking. Right? However, thinking back to how harsh he was with her earlier, it wouldn't surprise her at all if he's being completely serious. She types back quickly.

_I'm really sorry! I shouldn't have texted you._

She sends the message and then covers her face with her hands and shakes her head. What was she thinking? Her phone vibrates again and she peeks at the message through her fingers.

_No, you shouldn't have. You do know that it's completely against the rules for me to be texting my employees for fun, right? Employees aren't even supposed to have my number. It reflects badly on me and I can get in trouble for this. So, I'll ask again. How the hell did you get my phone number?_

Beverly isn't sure what she should reply with. She sighs. She has to be honest with him. 

_I got it from my boyfriend's phone._

A reply comes almost immediately.

_What's his name? Is it someone who works in my business?_

She doesn't want to tell the truth. She's scared that Eddie will bring it up to Ben one day. But she can't lie. She definitely can't just make up a lie. Wait. Can she? Maybe she can, she'll just need to - Shit, no, she has to tell the truth. 

_Ben Hanscom._

She presses send and then puts a hand up to her forehead as she stares at her phone, waiting for a reply. This time, he doesn't text back right away. She sits up and begins rocking back and forth, wanting to hear her phone vibrate so badly already. Finally, it does.

_Really? Are you lying?_

She shakes her head as she types out her response.

_No. We've been together for a while now. And we're childhood best friends._

Her phone vibrates a few minutes later.

_Okay. Fine. I'll accept that answer._

Beverly feels internally grateful but she can't help but wonder if Eddie is still angry with her.

_Um, okay. I'm really sorry to text you. I didn't realize it would reflect so badly on you._

When her phone vibrates again, she can't help but groan in frustration at herself as she reads the text.

_In what world do you think it would be okay for a boss to interact with one of their employees just for the hell of it?_

Then, her phone vibrates again.

_I don't want to know your answer. Just...I don't know. Go to sleep. You have to work tomorrow anyway, don't you? Don't text me again unless it's for anything to do with work. And even then, you shouldn't text me, because you have a manager. I'm not the first person you should go to, in the case of any work issues. Got it?_

Beverly lets out a defeated sigh. She failed again. Twice in one day. Now it would be  _really_ awkward to see him in person. She sends one last reply.

_Got it, Mr. Kaspbrak. I'm really sorry._

She's about to lay her phone aside and lie back down, when her phone vibrates one more time. Confused, she reads a last text from Eddie.

_I have a feeling you're going to continue bothering me relentlessly. So. I'll meet you for coffee tomorrow. Only for ten to fifteen minutes. I'll meet you at the little cafe next to the hotel you work at around 7:30. And tell Ben I said Hi._

A big grin begins to spread across her face. Progress has officially been made. With this good news, she finally sets her phone down and then lies back in bed, closing her eyes.

* * *

 

The next morning, Beverly wakes up around 6, so she can have plenty of time getting ready. She feels like she really has to put an effort into what she's going to wear in front of Eddie. I mean, he's the CEO for crying out loud. And Beverly can only assume that all the outfits he wears are  _expensive._

She settles for a black pencil skirt and a white blouse. She still wears flats, because there's no way in hell she's going to stand for all those hours in  _high heels._ She applies a little more eye makeup than usual and even chooses a bolder lip color. She's not trying to look  _attractive_ for him. She's trying to look  _impressive._ Maybe, he'll be more open to her questions if he's impressed by the way she's dressed.

Once she leaves the apartment, it's about 7:15. She drives to the cafe and walks inside briskly. She scans the the room and almost gasps when she sees him in the corner of the room, sipping at his coffee and reading a newspaper. He hasn't noticed her yet, so she slowly approaches the small table. Once she's close enough, he must sense her presence because he glances up and then leans back in his chair, looking right at her. She gulps under his gaze.

"Ms. Marsh. Please, sit down," he says in a very serious tone as he gestures at the chair across from him. 

There's a cup of coffee on her side, with a couple of creamers and sugars sitting next to it. "That's for you," he simply says.

"Um, t-thanks," she stutters as she sits and begins opening some of the sugar and creamer packets.

"Wow. You came across as overconfident yesterday. What happened? You're a stuttering mess now," he mocks. 

Though it sounds insulting, Beverly can tell by the light tone that he's only joking. At least, sort of joking. Maybe.

"Um, yeah. I'm really sorry about that. I'm not proud of that. Like I said, I don't usually act like that. I just -"

Eddie cuts her off with a scoff, though he's starting to chuckle.

"You're acting like you broke the law or something, don't be so dramatic. Since when is it against the law to bother somebody until you finally get what you want?"

Beverly flushes a bright red, feeling more and more embarrassed by the second.

"Uh, s-sorry."

Eddie lets out a heavy sigh. 

"My, my, my. You've been sitting here for about thirty seconds now and all you've managed to do in that time is apologize. Are you going to move on from that anytime soon?"

Beverly nods quickly.

"Yes! Y-yes. I, uh. I was just really wanting to ask you some questions about the, uh. The hotel. I just wanted to know about what got you started and everything."

Eddie studies her for a few moments and then takes his eyes off of her as he takes another sip of his coffee. Beverly shifts in her seat awkwardly. Finally, he sets his cup down again and then leans forward.

"So. That's it? You went through all of that just to ask me why I got started in the business I'm doing right now?"

Beverly stutters and nods.

"Yes," she answers quietly. "Among a few other things."

This seems to peak Eddie's interest.

"A few other things? Like what?"

"Just...a few more questions regarding work."

This is not going nearly as well as Beverly had been hoping. Eddie is quick-witted and clever and he's able to make her feel like a complete dumbass at the drop of a hat.

"Are you lying?" Eddie suddenly asks. 

Beverly is taken aback by the question, because  _Yes, she is lying but she can't admit that._ She shakes her head.

"N-no. Not at all!"

"Why are you stuttering so much, then? You know, I used to stutter every time I was lying. That's how my mother always knew I wasn't telling the truth. I could never get away with doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing."

Beverly hopes that her face doesn't look as freaked out as she's feeling on the inside. She can't blow this. She has to be able to fake it. This is her job on the line. She has to do this for her job.

"I'm just kind of nervous. Talking to you and everything. I'm telling the truth. I promise."

Eddie watches her, seeming to check for any signs of dishonesty. Finally, he seems to accept her answer. He nods at her, as if to tell her to start asking questions.

"Okay. Well, my first question for you is....What made you want to open up a hotel chain?"

Eddie chuckles as he stares down at his coffee cup.

"You're lying," he simply states, completely disregarding her question.

Beverly splutters, because  _what the fuck?_ She can't even feel upset, because he's exactly right. However, she tries one more time to keep up her facade.

"What? Mr. Kaspbrak, I swear I'm not! I-I don't know why you think I'm lying -"

"I know who you are, Ms. Marsh. Who you  _really_ are."

And this is what finally causes Beverly to snap.

"Oh my god," she says as she covers her eyes with her hands. So much for keeping up the fucking facade. "I'm so sorry."

Eddie just stares at her. She can't quite tell what look he has on his face. 

"How did you find out?" Beverly asks quietly.

"With the job I have, I can find out whatever I want about whoever I want," he says with a grin.

Beverly wishes she never came. She's busted. Everything is going downhill faster than she can blink.

"Okay," she says. "Well, I'm guessing that I'm just wasting your time. I should, um. I should go," she says.

She's about to stand up, but Eddie puts a hand up in a  _Stop_ gesture. She freezes.

"What's wrong, Ms. Marsh? Am I not interesting enough for you, anymore? You're busted and suddenly you don't wanna talk anymore?"

Beverly gapes at him and her eyes widen in shock. Now, she's starting to feel a bit agitated. He's having fun making a fool out of her.

"Look, you know what my intentions are with this interview. So, you obviously don't wanna talk now."

"When did I say that?" Eddie asks casually, as if he's talking about the weather.

"I write for a  _gossip magazine._ What do you think I'm going to do with the information I get out of you? Write a professional biography and have it sold in expensive bookstores? No. You know what I would actually do with your information."

"Ah. So you wanna expose me, huh? Is that it? You wanna find out all of my deepest, darkest secrets and reveal them to the public? And  _destroy_ my life? That type of thing?" He asks with a smirk. 

Beverly glares at him. She can't believe the arrogance on this guy.

"Yes," she answers truthfully. "That's pretty much exactly what I would've done."

Eddie nods, looking satisified.

"Thank you for the honesty. I appreciate it. You should use it more often. Looks nice on you."

Beverly rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. 

"Yeah, well. You pretty much forced it out of me," she grumbles.

Eddie suddenly cracks up. He sits there laughing for a few moments as Beverly only glares hard in his direction. Now, he's laughing at her. Even better. 

"I lied," he suddenly says. "I didn't know a damn thing about you. You just looked like you were hiding something. Turns out you actually were. Now I know everything," he says, looking completely smug.

Beverly's jaw drops. He....he fucking  _tricked_ her into admitting everything.  _Fuck._ He didn't even know she was lying. If she hadn't said anything, she could still have everything covered up. Well, that's fucking great.

Now, she gets to disappoint everyone at the office and possibly even risk losing her job. All because of Eddie  _fucking_ Kaspbrak.

"Congratulations. You happy now?" she says harshly.

"Very," Eddie answers immediately. "Now, I have a couple of questions for you."

Beverly shakes her head immediately because  _now he has the audacity to ask her questions?_ However, she remains in her seat, so he continues.

"Why do you write for a shitty gossip magazine? I've read a few of your stories before. You're a  _great_ writer. Why are you wasting your time with them?"

Beverly feels her face heat up at the compliment. Shit, she's supposed to be angry with him.

"Because. It pays decent money, and it may get me better opportunities. Everyone's gotta start somewhere, right?" 

She lets out a humorless chuckle and Eddie slowly nods, seeming to process her answer.

"Okay, I guess I understand that. But you  _do_ realize that with the writing skills you have,  _plenty_ of writing platforms would be reaching out to you, to feature those skills?

Beverly scoffs. 

"I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing that."

Eddie shrugs.

"Just telling the truth. Second question. What exactly were you planning to gain out of attempting to interview me and then  _expose_ me?"

Beverly frowns. It sounds terrible when he says it like that.

"Um. Good opportunities. My boss tells me that it might make networks and big time writers reach out to me. It could mean a better job with more money. Ben and I are trying to save up for a wedding and a house, you know."

Eddie's face softens for a split second before he somehow morphs it right back into his usual stern look. Wow, he's fucking good at that.

"Maybe," Eddie agrees. "But did you ever think about the fact that a lot of those networks don't take  _gossip_ writers seriously? Meaning they'd most likely think your story is a joke."

Eddie's words cut deep into Beverly's heart. It feels like all the excitement she had built up over the past week just came crashing down around her.

"Oh," she says. She can't help but feel devastated at this news. 

Eddie remains quiet as she stares at her coffee. He seems to be giving her time to think and process this information.

"I'll tell you what," he eventually says. "I'll make you a deal."

Beverly's eyes snap up to meet his. He has a warm smile, which shocks her, considering she just revealed herself to be a total liar.

"A deal? What kind of deal?"

"Well. I don't think you should work for that magazine. I really don't. I think you should quit and find a much better job where you'd actually be showing off your writing talents in a positive and professional way. So, here's my deal. I'm going to tell you my entire life story, leading up to where I am now. From the very beginning, all the way up to where I'm at in the present. I think my story will teach you a lot. I think you need to have your eyes opened to face the reality. My story will do that for you."

Beverly furrows her brows. What's the actual deal?

"I'm not following," she says slowly.

Eddie sighs. "Once I tell you my life story, you'll know  _everything_ about me. The good, the bad, the ugly.  _Everything._ You'll have all the information you'll need to write that gossip piece on me.  _However,_ I'm betting that by the end of my story, you'll have come to some kind of big realization that you need to face. And you  _won't_ be writing the story. But if I fail to make you come to that realization, then you can write the story. Sound fair?"

Beverly immediately lights up.

"Really?" She says. "You'll actually tell me everything?"

Eddie nods. "Yep."

Beverly nods quickly, suddenly feeling very excited again.

Eddie will be giving her  _everything_ about himself. She'll know every single thing about him. Meaning she will be able to write the  _best_ gossip story on him.

"Yes! Yep. Yes, let's make that deal."

Eddie holds out his hand, and Beverly reaches her own out to shake his. Eddie grins at her, and speaks.

"Okay. It's a deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought in the comments! New chapter will be coming soon! <33


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm overwhelmingly happy with the response I've been getting from this story. I'm so happy you all are enjoying it! Here's a new chapter! Enjoy!

"Hey, Beverly!"

Today is day two of Beverly's job at the hotel. She's feeling much better, and  _much_ more excited for what's to come. She smiles at Mike, who's standing behind the receptionist desk with his hands folded politely. His bright smile causes her to lighten up even more.

"Hey, Mike. How are you today?"

"Doin' just fine! You?"

"Feeling pretty good," she replies as she steps behind the desk and sets her bag down. She grabs her name tag from under the desk and attaches it to her shirt. 

"I'm scheduled as your trainer again today, but I don't think you're going to be needing much help. You're doing a great job," Mike says.

Beverly blushes. 

"Wow, thank you. Seriously, I was feeling  _so_ nervous about starting. But you've been a lifesaver. You really have," she says gratefully.

"I'm happy to help," he says. "Hey, I'm actually going to get drinks with some people this evening. You wanna come?"

Beverly smiles.  

"Oh, um. Yeah, sure! That'd be great! So, who's all coming?"

"My wife, and three of my close friends. Two of them are in a relationship. The other is single, which sucks because he's honestly _a catch_.....but now that I think about it, he may be  _better_ off single," he says with a chuckle.

Beverly chuckles. "Better off single? He not into relationships, or something?"

Mike shrugs. "Not so much that he isn't into them, more like he can't handle being in one. Commitment issues. Because of a past boyfriend."

Beverly winces. "Oh, that's gotta suck. Do any of you still keep in touch with his ex?"

Mike full on laughs this time.

"I have no idea, because  _I have no idea_ who his ex boyfriend is. He won't speak a word about  _who_ this person is. Just that he's super duper important to him and all this stuff."

Beverly considers this. 

"Hm. Wow. I don't even know who this friend of yours is but I fucking  _feel_ for him."

Mike nods as he stares off into space, seeming to think about his friend. "Yeah, he's a great guy. We're always trying to set him up on blind dates and some of them even go really well. But, then he...he just seems to have some sort of mental fight with himself because next thing we know, he's broken things off with that person or he stops responding to any of their calls and texts. Whatever happened to him in the past with this mystery guy must've really done something to him."

Beverly feels sad for whoever this friend of Mike's is. She has no idea who he is but she still feels terrible for him. She honestly really wants to meet him now.

"Well, now I can't wait to meet him," she says lightly.

Mike quickly nods with a bright grin.

"Yeah! Yeah, he's great. So are the other two, Bill and Stan. I think they'll all like you. And my wife,  _of course_ she'll love you. I think you'll really hit it off with all of them."

Beverly is about to ask if she can bring Ben, but suddenly she remembers that Ben would be meeting her coworker at the  _hotel._ And Ben still has no idea about her job at the hotel. Which she should really come clean about soon. Ben would appreciate it, and she would  _more_ than love to stop feeling like a jerk for keeping this big secret to herself.

"Well, I'm really excited to meet all of them," she says. 

Mike grins one more time, before a couple walks up to check out, and then the two of them are both concentrated on their jobs at hand.

* * *

 

 

 

"Ms. Marsh! Just checking in on how things are going with the story?" Mr. Rogers asks her later that day when she's sitting at her desk typing away.

She freezes for a second. She hasn't told him about any of her progress yet. She should probably tell the truth. But somehow, the truth doesn't sound like it would satisfy Mr. Rogers. If she lets him know that Eddie already knows she writes for a gossip magazine, Mr. Rogers might not be too impressed. She  _is_ supposed to be  _undercover,_ after all.

"Um, uh. Great! Good. He's - he's buying right into my  _disguise._ "

Mr. Rogers fist pumps the air excitedly. 

"Oh, yes! This is  _so_ great! Such great news. So, has he been answering any personal questions, yet? Anything that might make you assume those rumors may be true?"

Beverly shakes her head.

"Uh...nope. I'm working up to that, you know? I'm trying to really take it slow so he doesn't start thinking that something is fishy, y'know. Just trying to make this go as smoothly as possible."

Mr. Rogers grins and nods understandingly.

"I completely understand, Ms. Marsh. Take your time. Well, not  _really._ Because we do have deadlines and time crunches and all that..but y'know, don't feel like you have to rush right now, okay? You still have a couple weeks left."

Beverly grins and nods. Mr. Rogers gives her a thumbs up and then pats her gently on the back, before he stands up and walks away, with a skip in his step. He whistles a tune happily.

Beverly watches after him for a few moments, and then turns back to her computer.

"Hey, Marsh. How are things with Mr. Kaspbrak?" Gretta says in greeting as she passes.

"Oh, um. Good. It's going well. We'll have that information in no time!" Beverly says. And she even adds in a thumbs up for added effect.

Gretta doesn't seem to pick up on her obvious nerves, simply giving her a nod and saying, "Cool".

Beverly lets out a deep breath once she's alone again. She can hear the noisy chatter amongst her coworkers, but she tunes them out.

She's meeting up with Eddie after work. 

He's going to start talking to her about his life. She shouldn't feel nervous, especially because everything is out in the open between the two of them, but she still does. She just still feels like Eddie has some kind of ulterior motive up his sleeve. Something that could destroy her. But the way he looked and spoke that morning, made him seem so genuine and honest. Beverly should just trust him. She needs to stop worrying so much.

She glances at the clock. One hour left. She resumes typing again. She can do this. 

* * *

 

"Hello, Beverly. Late again, I see."

They're back at the coffee shop. It's an easy place for the two of them to drive to. And it never gets too crowded, unless they are having a special. 

"Uh, hi Mr. Kaspbrak. I thought we agreed on 5:30? Am I late?"

She immediately checks her phone.  _5:25._ What the fuck? She's  _early._

 

Eddie slowly shakes his head as she sits down across from him. Again, there's a coffee sitting right in front of her, with the exact same amount of creams and sugars as this morning.

"You're obviously not informed on the time rules in the corporate world. This isn't like work, where five minutes early means you're a star employee. When you have meet-ups with someone higher up than you on the corporate ladder, five minutes early is actually  _fifteen_ _minutes late._ "

Beverly stares in disbelief. Is this guy serious?

"Wait...so I should've been here at 5:10? Shouldn't we have agreed on  _that_ time, then?"

Eddie makes an offended face at her, as if he can't believe she just said that.

"What?  _No._ Look, when you agree on a time, you're actually agreeing to a time that's fifteen to twenty minutes  _ahead_ of that agreed time. How could you not know that?"

Beverly shrugs, having no idea what to say.

"Well, no one told me that."

Eddie stares at her for a few moments, before a smile breaks across his face and he actually begins to laugh. Beverly sits there in complete silence as she watches him laugh. Not only is this the first time a genuine smile is being directed at her, but this is also the first time he's  _laughing_ in front of her. At something she said. Beverly can't believe it. 

She smiles a little and chuckles, though it mostly comes out forced because she's not entirely sure what's so funny.

"You really are something else, Ms. Marsh."

Beverly awkwardly grins, deciding to focus on her coffee. She puts a few creams and sugars in, before she takes a gulp. She's not too sure how this whole thing is supposed to go down.

"So, um. How are we - um. How are we going to do this?"

Eddie quirks an eyebrow.

"Jesus, Beverly. You're acting as if we're about to rob a bank or something. All I'm doing is telling you a story. Well, the beginning of my story today, because I don't have much time to talk. Anyway, you don't have to look like you're about to commit a high profile crime right now."

Beverly nods and takes a deep breath.

"Yeah. Yes, you're right. Sorry. Um. Well, I guess...go ahead, whenever you're ready."

Eddie leans back in his chair and relaxes, his shoulders dropping and his hands resting gently in his lap.

"Okay. Well, I'll just tell you about my childhood, today."

Beverly nods and rests her hands on the table, giving him all of her attention. She even has her phone turned off and in her purse so there won't be any distractions. She already let Ben know that she would be coming home late, so she won't have to worry about any calls or texts from him.

Eddie takes a deep breath and then begins.

"I grew up with a single mother. My father passed away when I was really young, so I don't remember much about him at all. My childhood was....pretty rough. As a little kid, I had a lot of trouble making friends. No one wanted to talk to me, I never had a partner in class, no one to play tag with at recess. I was also  _really_ smart, which made every kid think I was just a teacher's pet or something. This caused me to become extremely closed off and afraid. And, my...mother didn't really help much with that. She was...kind of crazy, to be honest. As a child, she had this weird obsession with keeping me isolated from everyone and everything. She always told me all these lies to keep me afraid and worried. She would tell me that pretty much  _everything_ would make me sick. She would say that I shouldn't try making friends because they would all just end up leaving me at the end. She would tell me that all I needed to focus on was going to school and coming straight home to her. She told me that she was the only person in my life who really loved me and cared about me. No one else. She made me take these pills because she convinced me that I needed to do everything in my power to make sure I stayed  _healthy._ She also made me think I had asthma, so I carried about this stupid inhaler with me everywhere I went. Anytime I felt like I couldn't breathe, I would use my inhaler. Turns out it was all fake. Everything. It was all bullshit. I didn't have asthma, I just had bad anxiety, which was caused by isolation and general fear of everything. She suffers from _Munchausen by Proxy_ , which is basically a mental illness in which a caretaker makes up fake symptoms to put fear into their child."

Eddie takes a break to catch his breath. Beverly's eyes are already as wide as saucers by all this news. She can't believe any of this. It just sounds so... _insane._ It sounds like something out of some kind of thriller movie. Eddie was living with a psychopath. Beverly's heart goes out to him.

"Holy shit," she says. "That must've been awful."

Eddie nods, his eyes on his coffee. He seems to be in deep thought.

"Yeah. It was so...fucking horrible. When I think back to my childhood, I really don't have any fond memories. None. Because she made it a living hell for me. I mean....I don't hate her. I could never hate her. She did raise me after all. She did a shitty job, but she still did it. At least I  _did_ have a parental figure in my life. But...she did so many terrible things to me. She never abused me, physically. But mentally, she really messed me up. She has done some of the worst things imaginable. Things I can never forgive her for. They're nightmares that still haunt me to this day."

Beverly stares at him sadly as he speaks. She doesn't want to pry too much on his life, but she really wants to hear about this crazy woman in more detail.

"Um, would you mind telling me about one of terrible things she did? I-I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, I just mean -"

"No. I'll tell you, I don't mind. I'll tell you about something that happened when I was in fourth grade. It all started when...."

* * *

 

_Ten year old Eddie Kaspbrak sits at his desk on the very first day of fourth grade. He's terrified. He's always terrified. But first days were always the worst. Because this was the day when all the students started making new friends with other kids in their classes. And just like always, no one ever talks to Eddie. He's always left alone. Everyone just thinks he's weird._

_But in a way, Eddie can't blame them. He wears a fanny pack and he takes multiple pills at a scheduled time every single day. Not to mention how often he has to use his inhaler when he starts feeling like his lungs are contracting. Everyone just looks at him funny._

_Eddie sighs as his Math teacher walks in the door. She's a young pretty woman with long dark hair and a kind smile._

_"Hello, class! Congratulations! You're all officially in the fourth grade. Time is flying by! My name is Mrs. Brooks. You can call me Mrs. B for short, if you'd like. How was everyone's summer?"_

_There are multiple excited murmurs coming from the students around Eddie, each of them talking about their fun stories from the summer break. Eddie sighs. He wishes he had exciting stories. But instead, he stayed in his room all summer, reading books and writing. His mother still refuses to let him out to play or even just walk around a little bit. He knows that there's a lot of danger in the world, but he wishes he could at least have one friend to talk to and hang out with._

_"Okay, I think I want to play a little game with you guys. I want you all to stand up one by one and tell the class your name, your favorite color, and your favorite animal. Sound okay? Why don't you start us off," Mrs. Brooks says as she gestures at a young girl at the front of the room._

_Eddie immediately freezes and begins panicking. He doesn't want to stand up and talk. Because that means everyone will be looking at him. And then they'll start laughing and making fun of him._

_Eddie's breathing begins to pick up, as he slowly begins to panic more and more. He starts feeling an asthma attack coming on, so he quickly pulls out his inhaler and puffs a few times. A few students who sit around him notice, and begin snickering at how weird he must look. His face reddens but he does his best to ignore them. Suddenly, Mrs. Brooks is standing in front of him. He didn't even realize that all the students in front of him have already spoke._

_"How about you, young man? What's your name?" Mrs. Brooks says kindly._

_Eddie stares at her with wide, frightened eyes. He's paralyzed with fear. He begins to stutter._

_"U-um...m-my name is...my name i-is -"_

_"You're supposed to stand up!" A student says from across the room, causing everyone to start giggling while they stare at Eddie._

_Eddie looks around at them, and his face reddens even more. He stares down at his desk in embarrassment._

_"Hey, hey, hey! Enough! Do not laugh at another student. That's rude and I won't allow it. He can sit if he wants. Now, please. Stay quiet while someone else is speaking. Go ahead, young man," she says sweetly as she looks down at him again._

_Eddie exhales slowly and then nods. "My name is...Eddie Kaspbrak. My favorite color is yellow...and my favorite animal is the bottlenose dolphin. Because...they're one of the most intelligent animals in the world. They, uh....they each come up with a specific whistle for themselves that they use to communicate with other dolphins. The whistle is kind of like their name. So when a dolphin wants to communicate with another dolphin, they mimic the whistle that belongs to that dolphin to get their attention, kind of like how humans get another human's attention by saying their name. I just....um, find it very fascinating..."_

_The class is silent for a few seconds, when suddenly someone shouts, "Yawn!"_

_Everyone begins cracking up again and this time, every single student is laughing at him while pointing. Eddie feels tears prickle at the corner of his eyes, and he hangs his head in shame._

_"That's enough! Students, it is not polite to laugh at someone else's expense. Ever. You wouldn't like it if everyone was laughing at you, would you?" Mrs. Brooks says angrily to everybody._

_The students finally stop laughing once they realize how serious she is._

_"Stop it. I'm serious. Do not laugh at him or anyone else again. Understand?"_

_The students slowly nod and stay quiet as she moves on to the next student. But before they start, Mrs. Brooks says, "That is very interesting, Eddie. I had no idea they each had their own distinct whistle. You're right, very fascinating. I look forward to having you in my class this year, Mr. Kaspbrak."_

_Eddie gives her a small smile, internally grateful that she stuck up for him. He doesn't make eye contact with any of the students for the rest of the class._

_Once class lets out for recess, Eddie follows the students outside. They immediately begin playing tag. Eddie watches in longing as they all laugh and run around joyfully. He sits on a swing all by himself and just watches. He sighs. Suddenly, he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns to see a little boy sitting on the swing next to him. He puts his hand up and gives Eddie a small wave. He's got short black hair and dark eyes._

_Eddie stares in disbelief for a few seconds before he finally manages to get ahold of his voice._

_"Um, hello. What's your name?"_

_The boy blinks for a second and then pulls a small journal out of his bag that he has sitting on the grass next to him. He pulls a pencil out of his pocket and begins writing. Then, he holds the journal up for Eddie to read._

_"My name is Denny. I don't talk. I write. You're Eddie, right?"_

_Eddie stares at the words for a few seconds and then understands. The boy must be mute._

_"Yeah. I'm Eddie."_

_Denny smiles. He begins writing again. Then, he holds the journal up again._

_"Cool. I'm in Math with you. I was sitting at the back. I thought your facts about dolphins were cool. I know a lot about chimpanzees."_

_Eddie feels a smile begin to stretch across his face as he reads._

_"Really?" He says. "That's cool! I don't know that much about those."_

_Denny smiles again and starts writing faster this time, seeming to be getting more excited. He holds up the journal._

_"I could show you my books about them. They're very smart. Like dolphins."_

_Eddie grins and laughs._

_"Yeah! I would like to see your books! I can show you all of my books on dolphins, if you want. I also have a lot of books on elephants, crows, rats, and dogs!"_

_Denny grins widely and nods excitedly. He writes faster than before and holds his journal up._

_"I wanna see your books!"_

_Eddie nods and smiles at Denny._

_"Yeah, they're all at my house. You can come over after school if you want. I can show you all of them. You can even stay for dinner, if you want!"_

_Denny nods and writes, before holding his journal up._

_"Okay! I just have to ask my parents!"_

_Eddie reads the words and then smiles happily. He and Denny grin at each other for a few moments, the two of them swinging slowly on the swings._

_Eddie just made his very first friend._

* * *

 

_After school, Denny gets permission from his parents to go to Eddie's house. He lets Eddie know that his parents will drop him off for a few hours and then pick him up._

_Eddie's mother picks him up after school, and she immediately notices his smile and overall happiness._

_"What's got you all smiley," she asks as she drives._

_"I made a new friend today. His name is Denny!" Eddie says excitedly._

_His mother doesn't say anything, just stares straight ahead._

_"Um, I invited him to come over for a little bit. His parents said he could. I just wanted to show him some books I have on animals. He wants to show me some of his, too. Maybe he can stay for dinner? Is that okay?"_

_His mother slowly shakes his head, staring at the road disapprovingly._

_"Eddie. You know what I've said about...friends. They aren't really your friends. They're just tricking you. All of them. They're not really being nice. They're just laughing at you behind your back. That's why you must stick by my side. I know you best."_

_Eddie stares sadly down at his lap as he listens to her speak. He's always believed her...but Denny just seems different. Different like Eddie. The good different. Eddie likes Denny and Denny likes Eddie. So they're friends. Simple._

_"I just want to have one friend. Someone I can talk to about...boy things. Denny is different, mother. I promise. Can he come over? Please?"_

_His mother sighs, but finally nods._

_"Fine. But only for a few hours. You can have one hour of your play time or whatever and then one hour of dinner. After that, he needs to leave. Okay?"_

_Eddie lets out an excited sound and nods._

_"Okay! Two hours! Got it. Thank you so much, mother! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"_

_His mother grumbles out a reply, not seeming happy at all._

_Eddie ignores it. He can't stop grinning like a madman now. He's actually going to have a friend over. He can't believe it._

* * *

 

_Eddie is sitting at the kitchen table, finishing his homework when his doorbell rings. He gets up and hurries to the door, but his mother stops him._

_"I'll get it," she says. She gives him a look when he tries to argue, so he simply nods and steps back._

_She walks to the door and opens it. Denny stands there, smiling up at Eddie's mother._

_Eddie appears behind his mother._

_"Hi, Denny!"_

_Denny waves happily and grins at Eddie._

_Denny's parents are parked in front of Eddie's house, making sure Denny gets in safely. They both see Eddie's mother and they smile and wave. The mother steps out of the car quickly. She jogs up to the door._

_"Hi! I'm Carol, this is my son, Denny! He told me all about how awesome Eddie is. Is it okay if he and Eddie hang out for a few hours? We'll be right back to pick him up," she says with a big grin._

_Mrs. Kaspbrak stands there silently for a few seconds, before she finally clears her throat and nods._

_"Sure. He can stay. Only for two hours. My Eddie's got a lot of homework and chores to catch up on."_

_Carol nods right away._

_"Of course, I understand. Well, I guess I'll go ahead and leave him."_

_She kneels down and puts her hands on Denny's shoulders._

_"Take care, little guy! Call if you need anything, okay? We'll be back in two hours. Have fun!"_

_Denny smiles and hugs her. Carol looks over Denny's shoulder, right at Eddie. She smiles and waves. Eddie grins and waves right back. Finally, stands and begins walking away._

_Mrs. Kaspbrak opens the door a little wider to let the boy in._

_"So, tell me about yourself, son."_

_Denny looks up at Mrs. Kaspbrak and gives her a soft smile. He pulls his journal and pencil out and begins to write._

_Mrs. Kaspbrak stares at him in confusion._

_"Wait. Why are you writing? Can't you talk?"_

_Denny shakes his head as he continues writing._

_"Why the hell not? She demands._

_Suddenly, Denny stops writing and looks up at her. His eyes are wide._

_Eddie steps in._

_"Mother, please don't talk to him like that. He doesn't talk. That's just the way it is."_

_Mrs. Kaspbrak doesn't understand. Nor does she seem to feel any remorse for how she's talking to a young boy. Her face begins to darken in anger, frightening both Eddie and Denny._

_"Eddie. He's sick! Filthy and sick! He's going to infect you with his sickness!"_

_Denny and Eddie stare at her in disbelief as she shouts._

_"He's sick," she continues. "You better get out of here. My Eddie has got to stay healthy and safe! I can't let him be around people like you! You cannot turn him into...a...a mute like you! I won't allow it! Get the hell out! Now!"_

_By this point, Denny has tears in his eyes as he slowly backs away from Mrs. Kaspbrak. Eddie's heart is beating hard and fast and he puts a hand on Denny's shoulder to try to comfort him._

_"Denny," he says. "It's okay. She just - she doesn't mean it. You can stay. Look, we'll go up to my room and I'll show you those books like I promised -"_

_"No! He needs to leave. Now! Now, Eddie! Get him out of here!"_

_Eddie begins crying._

_"Mother, please don't say that. He's my only friend! He's the only one who will talk to me! He understands me!"_

_This just seems to upset her even more. She shakes her head._

_"He doesn't understand you," she spits. "I understand you. Not him. He's just a sick little boy. He's trying to trick you, Eddie! He wants to act like your friend, just so he can infect you with what he has! Leave, little boy! Leave, right now!"_

_Denny runs to the front door, terrified. Eddie tries to follow but his mother grabs on to his shoulder and holds him back._

_Denny opens the door and runs out. His parents were just about to pull away from the house, but suddenly his mother turns and sees Denny running towards them with tears in his eyes. She immediately steps out of the car and Denny throws himself into her arms, crying hard. She hugs back tightly, and stares at Mrs. Kaspbrak, who's standing in the doorway with a crying Eddie behind her._

_"What the hell just happened?" Carol shouts. She opens the back door for Denny and waits for him to get in before she shuts the door and then walks towards Mrs. Kaspbrak._

_"He's a sick boy! And he's trying to infect my Eddie with the same disease! My Eddie will need to talk his whole life. Your little boy will not turn him into a mute like him! I won't allow it!" She says angrily._

_Carol's eyes suddenly turn dark as her face drops._

_"Excuse me? There is nothing wrong with my son. Nothing at all. I can't believe you. What kind of sick mother would talk about a child like that? You're a disgusting person. You need some fucking help!" She shouts._

_Mrs. Kaspbrak shakes her head slowly. She points threateningly at Carol._

_"You get your ass off my property right now or I'll call the police. Take your sick kid and get him to a doctor. He's the one who needs help, not me!"_

_Carol is shaking with anger. However, she slowly backs away from the door, seeming to not want to cause a scene. She begins walking away._

_Suddenly, Eddie shouts, "Please tell Denny I'm sorry!"_

_Carol stops and slowly turns to look at Eddie. Her eyes soften for a moment as she sees the crying boy. She slowly nods and gives him a small smile. Then she glares at his mother one more time and gets into the car. The car slowly pulls off. Eddie sees Denny's crying face in the backseat just as they begin driving away._

_Eddie lets out another sob as his mother closes the door again. She slowly turns to face him._

_"I did that for you, sweetheart. It's for the best. Remember, I know best."_

* * *

"I never saw Denny after that, again."

Beverly stares with tears in her eyes. She's in utter shock. She can't believe what she's just heard. Her heart shatters for the one hundrenth time since he's started the story. 

"Never? But...didn't he go to the same school as you?"

Eddie shakes his head.

"His parents pulled him from the school the next morning. He became home schooled. And I never saw him again. I didn't know his last name. I didn't know where he lived. I didn't have his phone number. Nothing."

"I am so sorry," Beverly whispers.

Eddie chuckles humorlessly. 

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Denny is. If I could see him today, I would just....run up to him and hug him. Then show him those books. He really wanted to see those books."

Beverly feels more tears run down her face at Eddie's words. How terrible his mother truly is. Having to live with that kind of trauma...Beverly can't even begin to imagine how that must feel.

"So...your mother. Do you still keep in contact with her?"

Eddie shakes his head.

"Nope. I can't."

Beverly stares in confusion. She wipes her eyes quickly with a napkin as she waits for him to continue.

"She passed away last year," he says simply.

Beverly inhales quickly.

"Oh, shit. I-I'm sorry. I'm really sorry to hear that."

Eddie shrugs.

"Are you, though? Someone that terrible....are you actually sorry when they die? Because I'm still not sure if I feel sorry."

Eddie's words hurt. Not because Beverly feels sorry for his mother. But because it hurts to hear Eddie speak so emotionless about the death of a person you're supposed to love. But instead....she made herself become a person he couldn't stand. 

"So, I assume that that was just one of the many horrible situations you had to go through."

Eddie nods.

"Yep. There are plenty more. But I won't get into those. You have an idea of how terrible she was. By the time I grew up a little bit and turned 14, my life changed pretty drastically."

Beverly cocks her head to the side.

"How so?"

"I made a new friend," Eddie responds. "But not just any friend....a  _very_ special friend."

Beverly pays close attention to Eddie's face as he speaks. His eyes soften, a fond look growing over his face. He smiles softly as he thinks of this person and he chuckles softly.

"What made this friend so special?"

Eddie stays silent for a few moments as he just stares into space with that same fond look.

"He...he was just special. He'll always be special. Richie is -"

Suddenly, a loud ring cuts Eddie off. It's his phone. He quickly snaps out of his trance and pulls his phone out of his pocket. He stares down and then curses.

"Shit, emergency meeting. Okay, I have to go. We will continue this...." He trails off, looking expectantly at her.

"Tomorrow, same time?" She says hopefully. She honestly can't wait to hear more about Eddie's life...and this special friend.

He nods. "Tomorrow, same time."

He stands quickly and throws his coffee into a nearby trash can. As he passes Beverly on his way out the door, he gives her a gentle pat on the shoulder and keeps walking, not looking back or saying anything else. 

She stares at the spot he was just sitting for a few moments, letting all of that information sink in. She already feels absolutely overwhelmed with feelings, even though the story has just started. She sighs and then stands up, throwing her coffee cup in the same trash can Eddie did. 

She silently leaves the coffee shop, unsure how to feel. All she knows is that she's gotta go have drinks with Mike and his friends and get completely wasted so she doesn't let this eat at her brain all night.

* * *

 

"Miiiiiiike!"

Beverly is  _wasted._ Like, completely and utterly  _smashed._

As soon as she arrived at the bar and met all of Mike's friends, they all immediately drank and drank....and  _drank._

Bill Denbrough and Stanley Uris are such sweethearts and they make the cutest couple, in Beverly's mind. She definitely hit it off with them right away. And Mike's wife, Valerie, is an actual  _angel._ They couldn't stop chattering. Mostly about work things, but then it slowly transformed into movies and music and fashion. Beverly knows she's just made a new best friend.

Mike grins at her.

"Bev! Enjoying your night? I knew you would!"

Beverly grins and nods. She laughs loudly for no reason.

Mike was right. She  _loves_ his friends and she can only hope that they like her back. From the looks of it, they seem to enjoy her. Suddenly, she remembers Mike mentioning a third friend earlier. The one with the commitment issues.

She's about to ask him about this mystery boy, when a loud voice interrupts her.

"Sup, bitches?"

Beverly immediately turns to see a taller boy standing at the entrance of the bar with his hands raised up in the air. He's got wild dark curly hair and pale skin. He's wearing ripped black jeans with black converse, paired with a dark t-shirt with some rock band on the front and a dark flannel shirt over. Overall, Beverly immediately  _loves_ his style. 

" _Richie!"_ Everyone yells in return. Well, everyone except Beverly.

Mike and Valerie get to him first. Mike fist bumps him and then pulls him into a short hug. Valerie hugs him and gives him a peck on the cheek.

"How you doing, beautiful?" Richie says to her. Valerie rolls her eyes and laughs.

Stan and Bill walk up to him next. 

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite gays!" Richie yells happily as he holds his arms out towards them.

Stan and Bill both give him annoyed looks, though they both have smiles pulling at their lips. They finally hug him at the same time, making it a small group hug. 

"I swear you keep getting taller every time we see you," Stan says with a chuckle.

Richie laughs. "Or you're just getting shorter."

Stan rolls his eyes. "That doesn't even make sense, dumbass."

"G-good to see y-you, Richie," Bill says with a soft grin.

Richie gives the two of them a large grin, and then his eyes suddenly fall on Beverly. She immediately feels nervous. 

"And who is this beautiful girl?" Richie says.

"Richie, this is Beverly Marsh. She's my new co-worker at the hotel. Be nice," Mike says with a laugh.

"I'm nothing but nice, Mikey-Mike."

He walks over to her and holds out a hand for her to shake. She clasps her hand in his and shakes.

"Hey," she says. "What's up?"

"Oh, not much, good lookin'," Richie responds easily. "Y'know, you look like the kind of girl I would've totally had a crush on when I was younger. You know...back before I knew that I was totally  _gay."_

He laughs loudly at his own joke and everyone just chuckles, seeming to be used to this boy's crazy humor.

"And you look like the type of boy I'd ask to cut class with me so we can smoke under the bleachers," she jokes.

Richie's eyes widen. "Oh my god, why didn't I know you back then? We would've been the best of friends!"

Beverly giggles at his enthusiasm. 

"Get used to this boy. He's a never-ending ball of energy," Stan says, looking slightly annoyed though he speaks in a fond voice.

"You know you love me, Stan-The-Man. I know you just  _dream_ of inviting me into your bedroom so you me and Big Bill can have a threesome."

"Ew, p-please never s-say that again. T-that is a-an image I-I don't want to i-imagine," Bill says as he cringes.

Everyone laughs. 

"What have you been up to lately, Richie?" Valerie asks, sending Richie into another round of excited and enthusiastic chatter about his life.

Beverly pays attention for the most part but then suddenly realizes something.  _Richie._ Didn't she hear that name earlier? She tries her best re-think her day. Where did she hear that name? Did she even hear that name or is she just imagining it because she's so drunk?

She finally shrugs. She must be imagining it. She tunes back into the conversation just as Richie finishes his story about his job at the radio station.

She sits there happily for the rest of the evening with the group. She can't believe she's just met so many wonderful people. Ben would definitely love them, too. She frowns as she thinks about him. She can't keep lying to him, she knows that. She has to tell him very soon.

But for now, she spends the rest of the evening chatting with her new friends, including the slightly insane, but amazing Richie Tozier.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eddie finally started his story. And Richie was finally introduced! What did you think? Let me know in the comments! :) <333


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I've got a new chapter for you guys! I really hope you enjoy this one! Happy reading! <33

The next morning, Beverly wakes with a start. She feels nice, refreshed. It's Saturday. And she doesn't have to report to either of her jobs. She grins at the realization. Today is a relaxation day. She looks next to her, the bed empty. She sighs, she wishes Ben had Saturdays free as well. But unfortunately, his Saturdays meant having a few meetings with his boss and a few other teachers. He usually didn't return until the early evening.

She thinks of what she can do for the day until she has to go meet Eddie again.

 _Unless,_ she thinks.  _They can possibly meet right now and get a lot of his story knocked out today._

She sits there pondering for a few minutes. Should she try asking? She shrugs.  _Wouldn't hurt to try._

She grabs her phone from the nightstand and finds Eddie's number. She stares for a moment, and then finally presses down on the call icon. It rings once, then twice, then three times. Suddenly, a voice speaks on the other line. 

"Edward Kaspbrak speaking."

Beverly is silent for a moment. Is it her turn to talk or did he have more to say? She probably should've prepared for this impromptu call more. 

"Um. Uh -"

"Hello? Who am I speaking with?" Eddie cuts in impatiently. 

"Uh, Eddie! Oh,  _shit!_ I meant Mr. Kaspbrak. This is Beverly!"

She cringes as soon as she's done speaking. God, she fucking sucks at this. 

It's silent for a few seconds, as Eddie seems to process what he just heard. Finally, he speaks.

" _Beverly?_ Oh,  _Jesus Christ -_ you have got to be kidding me right now," he snaps. "You can't be serious."

"Um...hi?" Beverly squeaks. "I just. I had a question, that's all!"

"What did I tell you the last time you pulled this little stunt, huh?  _Never_ contact me on this number. Did I not make it clear enough?"

"Y-yes, you did make it clear. I'm really sorry! I just wanted to uh - I really wanted to ask you something and there was no other way to contact you!"

Eddie huffs loudly.

"Did you suddenly forget that we're meeting up later today? You can  _ask me then!"_

"But it was about  _that!_ I wanted to ask you something about that! Beforehand!"

"Look, Ms. Marsh. I don't understand why you seem to think you can just keep doing whatever you want without having to suffer any consequences. If I'm caught talking to my employees for the fun of it through my business number,  _both of us_ would be fired! And that wouldn't look too good for your little story, now would it?"

Beverly frowns at his tone of voice. He sounds seriously upset. She shouldn't have done this. She immediately regrets even coming up with the idea.

"Okay, okay. I'm really sorry. Seriously, it was a stupid idea. I was just going to ask if you could possibly meet up earlier today. I have nothing to do, so I figured we might be able to knock out more of your story. I'm sorry, I know it's stupid."

Eddie sighs and says nothing for a moment. Finally, he speaks.

"I can meet up a few hours earlier. Is that okay with you? Or did you need a three-course dinner as well? Hey, better yet! Why don't I hire you as my brand new personal assistant since we're so  _buddy-buddy,_ as you seem to think," Eddie mocks. 

Beverly rolls her eyes, but lets out a small chuckle.

"Um, no that's alright, Mr. Kaspbrak. All I need is your time. Thank you. I, uh. I won't all again. Promise."

"You sure as hell won't be calling again," Eddie says. "I'll see you later, Ms. Marsh."

The line cuts off before Beverly can even respond. She sighs, but grins, nonetheless. Despite the hard exterior, Edward Kaspbrak is one great guy.

* * *

 

This time, Beverly is sure to show up  _very_ early. Okay, not  _that_ early. But early enough, that Eddie wasn't there yet when she walked in.

She walks up to the counter, and orders a smoothie. She really needs mashed up strawberries and bananas in her system right now. She also orders two chocolate cupcakes for Eddie and herself. Maybe if Eddie has a delicious cupcake in front of him, he'll be more inclined to accept her apology. Once she has her beverage and desserts, she walks to the same table she and Eddie have been inhabiting, and sits down.

She checks her phone for the time and notices that Eddie should be arriving in just a few moments. She sits and reflects for a few moments. She really likes the system she has going on right now. Yes, she knows it's wrong. And  _yes,_ she knows she's lying to many people. But being able to hear the story of the man who is the talk of the entire city is one of the most interesting experiences she's ever lived, and she selfishly does not want to let that go. She just  _knows_ that this is a story worth hearing. Eddie seems to have gone through a lot in his life. And the last thing she wants is to ruin everything and miss the opportunity to hear  _just_ what happened to make this young man so spectacular. She also remembers the way Eddie mentioned a man named  _Richie._ She wonders if she'll hear more about him today. She really hopes she does.

Just then, the small bell above the door jingles and Beverly turns to see Eddie walking in smoothly. He has an expensive looking satchel hanging off of one shoulder, and he carries a briefcase in the other hand. Beverly watches in envy as he walks to the counter with so much confidence in him. Everyone in the cafe notices his presence right away, that's how strong it is. Beverly wishes she could even  _begin_ to have that much confidence in herself. She watches as he orders a drink and then waits by the counter for a few minutes. Most people distract themselves by playing around on their phone for a few minutes while they wait for their drink, but Eddie simply stands completely still, waiting with ease and patience as he watches the employees do their work. As soon as he gets his drink, she watches as he puts an entire $20 bill in the tip jar before he turns to join Beverly at the table.

"Showing up on time for once, Ms. Marsh? Is that your form of an apology?" He says as he sits across from her and makes himself comfortable. She splutters.

"Um. I'm not really sure how to respond," Beverly says uncomfortably. "I really do apologize for calling earlier. It was wrong and unprofessional of me."

He nods once and stares at her, as if he knows she's not finished speaking.

"But, uh.... _this_ is for really showing you just how sorry I really am," she says as she slides one of the cupcakes across the table, towards Eddie. 

Eddie stares down at the cupcake, before he shakes his head and chuckles.

"You're lucky I have a soft spot for chocolate dessert, Mr. Marsh. Apology accepted."

Beverly immediately breathes a sigh of relief, feeling very grateful.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaspbrak."

He nods again, as he grabs the fork she brought for him, and starts cutting into the cupcake. 

"So," she continues. "I think you were going to tell me about your life as a teenager, today. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Eddie replies. "That's correct."

He seems a bit hesitant, as if what's coming next is particularly sensitive for him to talk about.

"Um, if you're not comfortable with anything, trust me, we can move on-"

"No, I'm fine." He says. "I'm fine, really."

He takes a deep breath and begins the continuation of his story.

"Okay. Here we go. So, as i said yesterday, I had pretty much no friends throughout my time as a young child. But that all changed when I entered the ninth grade."

Beverly watches with deep interest, hoping this is the part where she mentions this mysterious Richie person.

"I met a boy. A weird boy. An absolutely _insane_ boy. At the time, I wasn't sure if I was grateful for him or if I wished I was lonely again just because I wasn't sure if I could handle how different he was. I didn't know that he would end up changing my entire life, for the better. I didn't know he would end up being one of the most important people I've ever come across. And I didn't know....well, I'll talk about that later. His name was Richie."

The ends of Beverly's lips twitch up in a grin, which immediately catches Eddie's attention.

"What?' He questions.

"Oh, nothing! Sorry, I just. What you're saying sounds really sweet," she says. "And, uh. Funny story. I just met a man named Richie last night. What a coincidence, huh?"

Eddie stares at her for a few moments with a frown.

"What was his last name? He questions, seeming extremely curious.

She's about to answer, until her mind suddenly comes up with a blank.  _Shit._ What  _was_ his last name? She thinks back to the previous night. However, all she remembers is being drunk out of her mind, and also being introduced to many different people. She remembers hearing lots of different first names and last names. She thinks back to Richie's. What was his last name? Uris? Den-something? She keeps coming up with a blank.

"Uh, I can't remember, honestly. I'm pretty sure I remember that it started with a U, though."

Eddie's face falls slightly, but he immediately masks it with a emotionless face. 

"Oh," he says. "I see. There are lots of Richards' in the world, anyways."

She nods. She realizes that this means Eddie and this Richie character aren't in contact anymore. 

"Please, continue."

Eddie nods as he stares at the table.

"Okay. So, I met Richie on the very first day of my freshman year. I was terrified that day. New school, new environment, new teachers. And of course,  _no friends._ All I knew at the time was that I wanted to get those next four years of school over with as fast as possible. I wanted to get out of Derry so bad, so I could start a life somewhere else. I just remember walking into that high school that morning, having no idea I was about to meet the person who would end up changing everything for me. Long story short, I met Richie that day, and immediately I knew something between us clicked. I didn't know what it was, especially because we couldn't be  _more_ opposite, but I just knew there was something between us. Some kind of connection. Some kind of electrical force that was fighting to keep up together. Basically, Richie and I ended up becoming  _best friends._ Like,  _really close._ We were practically attached at the hip, inseparable. I had never cared so much for someone as much as I cared for Richie. He was everything to me. He.... _is_ everything to me."

Beverly's eyebrows raise at the change in tense. Richie  _is_ everything to him. As in, the present. So, does that mean they  _are_ still in contact? 

"Richie must really mean a whole lot to you, huh?" She asks carefully.

Eddie chuckles humorlessly. 

"Oh, you have no idea."

Beverly has  _so many_ questions to ask about Richie. But the one burning question she has is:

"So, how exactly did you meet this boy?"

* * *

 

_Eddie Kaspbrak is now 14 years old and entering the ninth grade today. He's terrified out of his mind. He's not sure if he can handle being not only around the other kids his own age, but now kids up to three years older as well._

_He gulps as he takes a look at himself in the mirror. His mother specifically picked out the outfit for him to wear. Dark blue jeans with a purple shirt, and a nice cream colored cardigan over it. The outfit wasn't bad itself, but for the very first day of high school, Eddie just knew that it was going to receive odd looks from his peers. He picks at one strand of his hair nervously. It was perfectly placed, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about it. He shakes his head and chastises himself for being so silly._

_"Eddie-Bear! Are you ready? Come down for breakfast! Can't be late on your first day of high school!" His mother shouts from downstairs._

_He gives himself one last once over in the mirror before he grabs his backpack filled with books, notebooks and supplies. He walks out of his room and heads downstairs to see his mother at the stove, cooking up bacon and eggs._

_"Breakfast is almost ready," she says. "Sit down and drink your juice."_

_Eddie obeys, sitting down and immediately gulping down his juice. His mother turns and her eyes widen when he sees his entire glass already empty._

_"Eddie! You know you're not supposed to drink that fast! You could choke if you're not careful!" She snaps angrily._

_He stares up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry. I was really thirsty. I'm just nervous...and my throat got really dry."_

_His mother's face softens for just a second before she sighs and grabs the carton of orange juice from the fridge, returning to the table to refill his glass._

_"You have no reason to be nervous. My Eddie is officially growing up. High school, I can't believe it. I could've sworn you were just my little baby boy only yesterday. Now you're turning into a grown boy."_

_Eddie refrains from rolling his eyes at just how dramatic his mother is sounding. He's hardly grown up. He still feels like a little. Maybe he's supposed to be feeling grown up. But if he was supposed to feel like that, then why did his peers at school always go out of their way to make him feel stupid and small compared to them?_

_"Here," his mother says as she sets down a plate of food for him. "Eat up quickly. We need to get going in about ten minutes."_

_Eddie nods. "Thank you, Mother."_

_She pinches his cheek and leans down to kiss his head, before she walks to the bathroom._

_He eats quietly by himself as he tries to calm himself down. He can't be so nervous. Allowing his nerves to overcome him will mean that all the students will notice how scared he is, and then they'll really make his life a living hell._

_Before he knows it, his mother returns to set his dishes in the sink and then they're taking off._

_It's quiet in the vehicle as they drive. His mother makes a few comments every now and then but, they mostly remain silent._

_When she pulls up to the school, Eddie's heart starts pounding again._

_"Go on, Eddie. You don't want to be late. You can't start off your year like that. I won't allow it. Now, go." Her voice is stern as she speaks._

_Eddie nods quickly and opens the door. He steps out quickly and then shuts the door behind him. He puts his backpack around his shoulders and turns around to speak to his mother one more time._

_"You'll be here to pick me up, later? 3:45?"_

_His mother nods and waves._

_"Yes. I'll be here. Now, go! Hurry!"_

_Eddie nods and waves one more time before he turns around to look at the new school he'd be spending the next four years in. He hears his mother's old vehicle slowly pull off behind him. He takes a deep breath. He can do this._

_He slowly starts to walk towards the entrance, staring straight ahead, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone. His heart drops more and more as he notices students all around him walking with others, excitedly chatting about different topics. He wishes he had someone to chat with. But sadly, no one. Not one friend._

_He enters the building and immediately looks down at his class schedule to read what locker number he has._ _Locker 32B. He stares at all the locker numbers, walking slowly until he finds his. Because he's staring at the lockers instead of straight ahead, he fails to notice a taller boy walking quickly in his direction, too busy looking down at his cell phone._

_Suddenly, Eddie's body collides with the taller boy, and he's immediately knocked off of his feet from the force of it. He falls hard onto his back, his schedule sliding across the floor. He immediately feels a dull pain in his lower back from the fall, but luckily, his backpack acted as a pretty solid cushion for him. Some students walk by, smirking down at him. But most just ignore him._

_"Oh, shit. Sorry!"_

_Eddie's eyes snap up at the voice. He comes face to face with another boy. He's tall and pale, with dark wild curly hair and dark eyes that are magnified by a pair of thick glasses. Eddie immediately notices the freckles that are scattered across the boy's cheeks and nose. He's got high cheekbones and pink lips. Eddie's heart races as he continues to stare. He's never felt this way about a person, but he thinks this boy is.....beautiful._

_Finally, Eddie snaps himself out of it._

_"Um. It's um. It's okay. I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."_

_Eddie flushes when he realizes that he's still on the floor with an extremely attractive boy towering over him._

_"Neither was I," the boy says. "I was too distracted by this new phone I got last night. Well, technically not new, since it's a hand-me-down, but for me, it's new. You ever had one of these things? They're awesome," he says as he holds up a cheap looking flip phone._

_Eddie's heart flips at the large grin on the boy's face. He shakes his head._

_"No," he says. "My mother won't allow me to have one."_

_He cringes at how stupid he must sound. No one admits stuff like that. This is why he's picked on so easily. However, no tease or even a demeaning smirk come from the taller boy. He simply shrugs._

_"Hm," he says. "That's mothers for you."_

_Suddenly, he holds his hand out towards Eddie._

_"Shit. Sorry. Again. I totally knocked you down and now I'm just yapping about a lame flip phone instead of helping you up."_

_Eddie flushes. He timidly sticks out his hand to slide into the taller boy's. Once their hands touch, Eddie swears he can feel some type of electrical connection between the two of them. It sounds cheesy, but Eddie swears there was something._

_The boy pulls him up off the ground easily. Even standing, Eddie is extremely short compared to the stranger._

_"Um. Thanks," he says softly._

_The boy nods as their hands drop from each other's._

_"No problem," he says with an easy grin. "I'm Richie, by the way. Richie Tozier."_

_Richie. Such a unique name. It suits him perfectly._

_"I'm Eddie Kaspbrak," Eddie responds casually._

_Richie stares at him for a few minutes before he grins widely again._

_"Well, Eddie! It's very nice to meet you. Looks like you're the very friend I've made today!"_

_Eddie frowns in confusion._

_"Really? How?"_

_Richie chuckles._

_"I'm new here. New to Derry. Moved here last week."_

_Eddie nods. So, he's brand new. No wonder Eddie hasn't seen him before._

_"Oh," he says. "Well, um. Welcome to Derry."_

_Richie's eyes light up at the comment._

_"Thanks! You know, I wasn't sure about this place upon first glance. But now that I know there are boys as cute as you, I'm not feeling too weird about this school after all!"_

_Eddie immediately blushes at the boy's blunt comment. He speaks in a joking voice, but there's something in his eyes that makes him seem like he was completely serious when he said that._

_"So, where's your first class located at?" Richie says as he stares down at Eddie's class schedule. He must've grabbed it for him while Eddie was still on the floor from the fall. "Oh, you have English with Mrs. White first period. Me too! Let's go!"_

_Eddie simply stares at the enthusiastic boy, trying his best to catch up with how fast paced he is and lively he is. Eddie has never met anyone like him before. He's so different from anyone Eddie's ever seen....and he honestly finds himself to be more and more intrigued with each second that passes._

_Before he knows it, the two boys are walking side by side down the hallway, Richie chatting excitedly about anything and everything. Eddie listens and nods, adding in small comments himself every now and then._

_"We should hang out after school today! I need someone to show me around Derry anyways! And I only expect the cutest boy in all of Derry to do exactly that. Looks like I've got that covered."_

_Eddie flushes again, but this time, he feels a boost of confidence come out of nowhere._

_"I'm not sure if you can keep up with me, Tozier," he jokes._

_Richie stares at him, his eyes twinkling with adventure and happiness, a look that Eddie would soon grow so fond of, though he didn't know it at that moment._

__"You know, Eddie. I think you and I are gonna make a great pair. I can tell."_   
_

* * *

 

"That was the start of something beautiful," Eddie finishes. 

Beverly can't contain the grin that spreads across her face. She finds this story so adorable. And she's even happier, knowing that Eddie remembers this story perfectly, as if his meeting with Richie just happened yesterday.

"That's really sweet," she says sincerely. 

Eddie smiles. A kind, genuine smile that lights up his entire face. For a second, Beverly feels like she's seeing the  _real_ and  _true_ Eddie. Not the Eddie that everyone else sees; the strict, uptight, CEO, Eddie. But the kind, honest, and caring, Eddie. She hopes she can continue seeing that version of Eddie from now on.

"Yeah," he responds. "He's great. Really, really great."

Again, hundreds of questions start flowing into her brain. She wants to know so much about Eddie and Richie. Like, were they just friends? Did they start dating at some point? Is Richie the mystery man that Eddie has been 'getting caught' with every now and then? She needs to know so much. But she decides to ask what's most important for the story.

"So. I'm going to have to be very honest with you, right now. A lot of people...have seen you with another man as of late. Making them suspect certain things about you. Is....any of that true? And if it is, is the man you're being seen with....is it Richie?"

Eddie takes a bit of time to process all of this information. He studies his coffee cup for a few moments as he thinks. 

"I know people have been spreading rumors about me," Eddie finally says. "People always talk about my personal life, as if they actually know anything. Sometimes, they even talk  _while_ I'm in the same room, as if I can't hear them or something. It's exhausting."

Beverly feels a stab in her heart at this news. Poor man. He knows people gossip about him all the time. He must feel so pressured to be perfect all the time. 

"But, those rumors. About me being seen with another man...those are true," he admits seriously. "But not with Richie. He's not the one I'm apparently 'getting caught with'".

Beverly's eyebrows draw together in confusion.

"No?" She asks. "Then...who is it? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Eddie sits for a minute before he finally answers.

"I don't see why that's so important," he says. "But if you must know so badly, his name is Bill. And  _no,_ it's not an affair or anything like that. We're just friends. He's a writer. He's had a couple of books released, so he's up and coming, really. But he's in a relationship. Has been for a while. And even if he wasn't in a relationship, I would  _not_ want to date him. He's like the...older brother I never had, to be completely honest."

Beverly sits frozen in her seat at this answer. Because, even though she was drunk out of her mind last night, she actually  _does_ remember a few things. One of those things being, she met a gay man named Bill Denbrough, who was a writer, and  _oh yeah,_ totally dating someone. 

"Holy shit," she breathes, because  _could they be thinking about the same person?_

"What," Eddie frowns. "What's wrong?"

Beverly slowly shakes her head.

"N-nothing. Just...I might know who you're talking about. I think I met him last night."

Eddie's eyebrows raise, seemingly in curiosity.

"Really?" He asks. "Tall, thin, soft spoken, in a relationship with a man named Stan?"

Beverly suddenly nods her head quickly, as the memory of Stan comes rushing to her mind as well.

"Yes! I met Stan last night as well! I went out for drinks with Mike. He wanted to introduce me to his friends. That's how I met them."

Eddie stares in wonder.

"Mike knows Bill? And Stan? I didn't know that."

Beverly nods.

"Yeah! Mike says Bill is one of his closest friends. Wait, how do you not know that Bill and Mike are friends? Aren't you and Mike sort of friends as well? That puts you all in the same circle of friends. Doesn't it?"

Eddie shakes his head.

"Bill doesn't really talk to me much about his personal life. I know that sounds weird, but it's just easier that way. If I get involved with the people in Bill's personal life, then that would be even more reason for the people around this city to start gossiping even more. So, Bill and I just hang out. Talk about work. Our interests. Nothing personal. He uh, he's been helping me through my marriage...issues, though. You know, kind of as a counselor, in a way. He just listens to me rant and he talks to me about it."

Beverly nods, though she still feels very confused.

"So, Mike must not know about your friendship with Bill? Or what about Stan? Does Stan know you and Bill are friends?"

"Stan knows. But he'll keep his lips sealed. Mike doesn't. And that's because he's a good man who stays out of everyone's business. He's a really good guy. Also, Bill promised me he wouldn't go telling people he's friends with me, just because someone could hear about it and turn it into something else."

Beverly is shocked. So, Bill hasn't told any of his friends that he has a secret friendship with Eddie. The only one who really knows is Stan. And now she knows. She makes a mental note to ask Mike about all of this as soon as possible.

"Wow. That is  _a lot._ I had no idea we would've ended up knowing some of the same people."

Eddie nods. "I didn't know that, either. I guess that unfortunately means you and I are sort of closer than before."

Beverly giggles at this. "I guess that does!"

Eddie shakes his head, though he's got a grin playing at his lips now.

"So. What next?" Beverly asks. "I'm ready for more of your story."

* * *

 

Later that night, Beverly is laying in bed with Ben asleep next to her. She pulls out her phone and texts Mike.

_Beverly: Hey, it's Beverly._

_Mike: Hey, Beverly! What's up?_

_Beverly: I had a question for you._

_Mike: Go for it._

_Beverly: Have you been hearing those rumors about Eddie? You know, the ones about him being seen with another man? Do you know anything about that?_

_Mike: Nope. Not a single thing. I have no idea what's true and what isn't. But, I honestly don't care about that stuff. Eddie is a good man. He doesn't deserve any of that._

_Beverly: You're right. Do you know how those rumors got started?_

_Mike: It all started after a few female employees saw him in some restaurant with another man. As if Eddie eating out with another man suddenly means he's gay and having an affair. His private life is his private life, people need to leave him alone._

_Beverly: So, that's it? People saw him at a restaurant with another man and they started spreading rumors? You don't know who that man is or anything, do you?_

_Mike: No. I don't know who that guy is supposed to be. Eddie is very private with his life._

_Beverly: So, how are people spotting him numerous times with the same man? Are they stalking him or something?_

_Mike: Basically. I'm not even kidding. They follow him and stuff. They try to figure out where he goes in his spare time when he's not working. That's how they're catching him. Because they have nothing better to do with their lives than to follow their own boss, trying to figure out who he hangs out with in his free time. He could honestly file restraining orders on them if he wanted. That's how crazy and desperate they are. Either way, I stay away from all of that gossip. Like I said, I couldn't care less about Eddie's personal life. We all deserve privacy._

Beverly's jaw drops at that text. She re-reads it over and over again.

So, that must mean Eddie really _is_ secretive about his life, but that creepy women follow him to catch him with Bill, just so they can go spread rumors about it for their own personal entertainment. Terrible people, Beverly thinks.  _You're the one who wants to write an exposure piece on him_ , she reminds herself.

She sighs as she thinks about all of this. The more she learns about Eddie, the more she wants to be friends with him. She feels almost protective over him. Which is weird, considering they hardly know each other. But hearing how terrible his childhood was, Beverly just has the natural urge to hug and protect him from the world. 

She thinks back to earlier. Eddie had told her a little more about his friendship with Richie, but he didn't stay on that topic for too long. She could tell it was too sensitive for him.

Something happened between the two young men. Something that really shaped Eddie's life. She can't wait until she hears about it. She has no idea if they had anything romantic or not, Eddie didn't say anything about that. But she knows that this Richie character is obviously someone who still means a lot to Eddie, despite not being in his life at the moment.

She sets her phone aside and then shuts her eyes as she feels sleep overcome her. 

She can't wait to hear more about the peculiar Eddie Kaspbrak. 

She's more than ready for it.  

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think??? Again, I know this seems like it's all about Beverly, but once we introduce Eddie, he'll become a major part of the story, and then Richie will also become a major part later on. Let me know what you thought! <333


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